New Protest Poster Entries Demand Peace, Hope, and Healthy Life

From four nations come four unique entries in our Protest Posters 2 competition, each vying for their nations to see what the people really need, be it healthier working hours, freedom of speech, or a vision for a hopeful future.

China’s 9-9-6 working hour system (72 hours per week) has had a greatly negative impact on the health of employees. Wenhan Zhang speaks out about this injustice in their entry to our Protest Posters 2 competition, “Anti-966 Movement (OK)” (above, left). “9-9-6 Destroys the lives of employees” is written in a brushstroke font, with a small silhouette of an employee being hung on the inside of the letter “e”. The poster shows a crafty symbolism in its depiction of a suited businessman who holds the end of the noose by his pinching fingers. The buttons on his jacket symbolize communist belief and the hours “9-9-6” on the clock face.

Graphis Master Stephan Bundi protests press censorship with his minimalistic but powerful poster, “Against Censorship” (above, right). Switzerland media often finds their work heavily censored as the pages have to be submitted for review before publication. The bold black silhouette of scissors against the yellow background on this poster symbolize the cutting of critical information.

The American Dream often feels like a whim of the past in these uncertain times. Artist Jean-Benoit Levy feels that a better goal for the American people to push themselves toward is the “American Hope” that the nation can achieve social reform and opportunity for its people. His poster, “Hope and Dream,” (above, left) echoes this wish by placing the word “Hope” in white text overlapping the transparent word “Dream,” both placed strategically on top of the stripes of the American flag.

Finally, from Japan comes “Evil Shake-Hands” (above, right) by artist Toyotsugu Itoh. The words “Justice” and “Desire” overlap over a black background, the letter “I” in both words becoming the image of a missile. The poster aims to criticize the use of weaponry on other nations in the name of one nation’s “justice,” when in reality it is from a crooked politician’s “desire.” Itoh’s poster is powerful in its imagery and especially considering the history of Japan.

There are 28 days left to submit your own powerful designs in the Graphis Protest Poster 2 competition!