One Pine Tree

Choe Hyeon-bae’s pen name, Oesol, is a native Korean word meaning “one pine tree.” As a scholar and activist for Hangeul, he emphasized the power of words—and of letters—especially to young people. In keeping with a life devoted to laying the foundations of Hangeul as we know it, advocating native Korean vocabulary and horizontal writing, a poster honoring him needs only the single character “솔” (pine), standing upright and illuminating the darkness on its own, with nothing added or taken away. An entry for the first Oesol International Typography Competition.