the ‘big business 3’ currency portraits by senseteam detail viewall images © senseteam

resembling traditional embroidered patchworks, the ‘big business 3’ book and poster series by chinese creative agency senseteam cuts apart and recomposes the currencies of countries from around the world in an examination of identity and cultural desires that links together wealth, branding, and human expressions and ethnicities.

‘currency symbolizes the value of a nation and its position in the world,‘ explain the designers. the ‘big business 3’ portraits ‘reflect the subtle relationships and influences across money, desire, society, nations, and human beings.‘

the designs escape overly simplified, fetishistic readings– like the idea that consumerist society reduces an individual only to his financial worth– in the way that they combine diverse currencies into a layered, multi-toned image that from a short distance resemble sewn patchworks more than they do paper collages. in this way the series says as much about the international flow of money, and the human, cultural foundation behind a given currency, as it does about the place of the individual in contemporary economies.

the work has been awarded a gold award in communication design by the hong kong design centre at the design for asia award 2011.

money portraits by senseteam - 2

money portraits by senseteam - 3

money portraits by senseteam - 4

money portraits by senseteam - 5

money portraits by senseteam - 6 detail view

money portraits by senseteam - 7

money portraits by senseteam - 8 detail view

money portraits by senseteam - 9 the making-of of the portraits

money portraits by senseteam - 10 some of the money prior to cutting and collaging

money portraits by senseteam - 11the ‘big business 3’ book for which the collages were created reports on the year’s best design campaign from the top 500 brands worldwide

— DFA awards

a record-breaking number of applications has been received this year. in what is widely acknowledged as one of the most important programs to reward outstanding designs in asia pacific, the hong kong design center invited a spectrum of international winners and guests from creative industries, business and media to the award presentation ceremonies on december 1st and 2nd, 2011, to recognize the power of excellent designs and innovative minds in the region. among the 156 design for asia (DFA) awards honoring outstanding design professionals from around the world, the HKDC also bestowed 10 seminal grand awards for significant impacts and contributions to the world’s sustainability in asia, showing capabilities beyond design form and aesthetics.