A/Prof. Gu Xin from the Department of Visual Communication Design of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, has led his team to design the mascot of the 2021 FIS Freestyle Ski, Freeski & Snowboard World Championships in Zhangjiakou. The mascot was officially released online in Zhangjiakou on August 8. The 2021 FIS Freestyle Ski, Freeski & Snowboard World Championships will be the first time for the International Ski Federation (FIS) to hold a world championship-level event in China. It will also be the test event with the biggest scale, highest competitive level, longest competition duration, and highest number of competed disciplines before the Beijing 2022 Games.

Online Mascot Launch Ceremony 

Mascot Launch

Mascot Jin Niu

The mascot is a core element of brand image in international sports events. As the design organization, the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University attaches great importance to this design task. With the care and support of Lu Xiaobo, Dean of the Academy of Arts & Design, and Ma Sai, secretary of the Party Committee, a design team was set up with Hong Xingyu, professor of the Department of Arts and Crafts, as design consultant, Gu Xin, associate professor of the Department of Visual Communication Design, as design leader, and Dai Yongjun, Master's student of the Department of Visual Communication Design, designers Hao Mengyuan and Tian Chunyao as members. It has taken more than one year for the team to develop the final plan through careful investigation and collection of ideas from all parties at home and abroad.

The design team discuss the plan with the 2021 World Championships Organizing Committee

The inspiration for the mascot Jin Niu (Golden Bull) comes from the year of 2021, which is the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Bull, as defined by the Chinese zodiac. Based on the image of a cartoon bull, the mascot conveys fond expectations for the new year. Jin Niu takes gold as the main color going along with the "Chinese Red" clothing elements for Chinese New Year, communicating a message of ushering in a happy and auspicious Year of the Bull. Lively, smart, playful and lovely, the mascot echoes the characteristics of extreme sports in winter like freestyle ski and snowboard.

The mascot's dynamic modeling

Meanwhile, the design of Jin Niu features the Yuxian paper-cut, Zhangjiakou's most distinctive traditional folk art and part of national intangible cultural heritage. The design of the mascot highlights the techniques of knife carving , engraving and color spot dyeing to depict the bull's horns, ears, tail, feet and eye corners as well as the scarf (also the skis and snowboard), making it very impressive. 

During the creation period, the design team received the support and participation from folk craft artists including Zhou Liwei, an inheritor of the paper-cut intangible cultural heritage and the guidance and assistance from Qian Zhe, Director of Image and Look Design Division of Culture and Ceremonies Department of Beijing 2022 and Associate Professor of the Department of Visual Communication Design. Founder Font has also been invited to be a supporting organization.

Source: Li Xiangyu, Gu Xin, Dai Yongjun, and Hao Mengyuan

Editor: Zhao Ruohan