The Year of the Snake
Editorial, Personal
This Year of the Snake greeting card was made in spring 2025 as a small, hand-printed run, gifted to friends to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It follows the energy of the Dragon Year with something quieter: a snake that looks mysterious, but is a little shy.
Institution
Sint Lucas Antwerpen
Location
Belgium
Year
2025
Snakes are often seen as dangerous, yet in reality they tend to avoid people. The design plays with that contrast, balancing a bold, mysterious presence with an awkward, slightly cute charm. That mix of confidence and softness became the central tone of the card.
Three colour versions were screen printed by hand at Sint Lucas Antwerpen, each built from three layers of ink: bluish purple, black, and red; fluorescent orange, black, and red; and metallic silver, black, and red. The silver version began as an unplanned experiment with printmaking coach Gerard Leysen, and gave a sharp metallic sheen. The fine kanji of 謹賀新年 inside the red emblem were the hardest part, and took many attempts to print cleanly.
Some of the best details came from mistakes. Uneven ink coverage left textures like snake scales, partial prints suggested the animal's movement, and slight misregistration added a playful illusion. These accidents echo the character of the snake itself, unpredictable and hard to look away from, and show how imperfections can give a printed piece its personality.
Credits
Graphic Designer
Technical Coach
Print Studio
Jian-Xin Wang
Gerard Leysen
Zeefdruk Werkplaats, Sint Lucas Antwerpen