Promoting tourism on the Belgian coast and in particular the coastal town of Ostend, resulted in a candle that can be bought as a souvenir after a visit to the historic sailing ship the Mercator. I designed a product that relates to the history of the ship.
The Mercator is perhaps the most famous ship in Belgium. The three-master was built in Leith, Scotland and launched in 1932.
On the seventh voyage, which lasted from October 3, 1934 to May 21, 1935, the Mercator brought back two Moai (giant statues) from Easter Island. Of the two statues taken by the Mercator, one statue had a name: 'Pou Hakanononga', which translates into ‘god of the tuna fishermen’. The statues had been ‘exchanged’ with the government of far-away Chile for some Egyptian antiquities. Nowadays she is moored in the marina of Ostend where she is preserved and can be admired in all her glory.
Packaging
 I translated the story of the ship into matching packaging. Shipping is a world surrounded by myths and symbolism, and based on this, a number of illustrations have been created. The illustrations are inspired by matchbox art, which is a traditionally cost effective technique where no more than a few different colours are used. There is a 3D model of the candle itself, where the burning down of the candle had to be taken into account. The clear posture of the Easter image had to remain as unchanged as possible, but still ensure that the candle burned evenly. The candle is made of beeswax and can have different scents and therefore colours.
Work Fields Illustration, Graphic Design, Product Design                                                        Type of Work Proposal
Year 2017
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