The arrival of “Grain buds” indicates the advent of summer in Hangzhou. “Grain buds” always comes with abundant rainfall which is in complementation with the tropical sun to ensure plants thrive in summer.

The creation team of teachers and students from China Academy of Art has brought up a series of posters of “Grain buds” through the extraction and "redesign" of natural visual symbols.

Author: Lin Lingjia

Introduction: The spring silkworm has a good appetite for mulberry leaves until Grain buds, and they began to spin silk cocoons henceforth. The folk adages of Grain buds are indicated through the figures with Chinese elements in the poster.

Author: Wang Yexin

Introduction: The form of illustration is applied in showing the scene of busy farming in Grain buds. Besides, the geometric figures render the picture a sense of modern. In terms of the composition, the picture is divided into several parts by clouds, and the scenes of plowing, planting, and weeding are framed in the same picture.

Author: Wang Yujia

Introduction: It is the custom to eat wild vegetables in Grain buds. Wild vegetables like dandelion, shepherd's purse, purpura, ferns, with unique flavor and high nutritional value were endowed with good meaning by the ancient people.

Author: Xu Weisong

Introduction: During the period of Grain buds, the southern region of China generally rains a lot. Accordingly, the reading lamps in the poster extract the elements of the oil-paper umbrella, under which there is a man reading and learning silently in a heap of umbrellas. The poster suggests that mature and achievement can only be fulfilled by learning with determination.

Author: Ye Xinming

Introduction: It is an ancient custom in some rural areas to offer sacrifices to the god of chariot during Grain buds. According to the legend, the "god of chariot" is identified as the white dragon.  To worship them, farmers would place fish and incense in front of the water wheel, wishing that wealth and good luck will flourish like water. These customs also show the importance farmers attach to irrigation and drainage.

Author: Zheng Shaofei

Introduction: Grain buds means the daily luck of happiness, love and summer scent.

Author: Xu Xiya

Introduction: Grain buds is the beginning of the rainy season. Abstract elements are used to show the characteristics of Grain buds: the pattern of rain at the bottom right indicates heavy rainfall, wave elements represent streams and rivers, water wheel at the top, and the grass at the bottom left show vitality of Grain buds. The fluorescent green hue stands for the hope of the season.

Author: Fang Yuan

Introduction: The poster depicts the most active creatures in Grain buds. Meanwhile they are formed into a white character of “满” in Chinese, which stands for Grain buds. The color blue is to praise the power of life and yearn for the rain.

Author: Pan Xusheng

Introduction: the theme of the poster is the umbrella, which is in response to the coming rainy season. The concave-convex design of the handle is convenient for holding, and the decorative texture of water drops echoes the rainy season. The opening button is in the shape of green grains. The whole product implies good weather and abundant grains.

Author: Liu Fangzhu

Introduction: It gradually gets hot after Grain buds, and the warm breeze constantly blows through the wheat.

Author: Na Zimu

Introduction: In this season, everything is bustling. The author processes the shape of the characters according to the summer meeting--one of the customs of Grain buds, making a combination of graphics and colors to form a vivid picture of the summer market.

(Compiled by Xu Yuhong)