Bojun Tan, a multiple international award-winning graphic designer based in New Jersey, is making waves in the design world with his experimental take on spray-painted lettering. While his professional work spans branding across various industries, it’s his personal design projects that truly showcase his creativity and passion for pushing boundaries.
One of Bojun’s most celebrated projects, Spray, earned the prestigious Gold Award at the 2023 Muse International Awards, renowned for their elite jury panel and dedication to recognizing excellence in design and creativity. Spray is a reimagined alphabet series that combines sharp details with soft gradients, pushing the boundaries of traditional typography.
Bojun crafts each letter using custom folded-paper stencils, a technique that introduces unique depth and dimension. By manipulating the folds, he brings parts of the stencil closer while pulling others away, creating a striking interplay between sharp edges and blurred transitions. This delicate balance between precision and fluidity gives the work a sense of movement and energy, making it visually captivating and thought-provoking.
“Spray is my way of exploring the contrast between control and unpredictability,” Bojun shares. “Spray paint has this wild energy, but adding deliberate techniques like folding and layering brings out something completely new and unexpected.”
Bojun’s creative process is fluid and open to inspiration from everywhere. He mixes traditional and digital tools, drawing from street art, architecture, and even drawing techniques to shape his designs. This broad range of influences helps his work feel fresh and full of life, breaking away from conventional graphic design rules.
For Bojun, each project starts with curiosity. “I like to let ideas grow naturally,” he says. “Design, for me, is about finding connections between different art forms and creating something that makes people stop and think.” His ability to adapt and experiment lets him discover surprising results, which keep his work exciting and original.
Spray is more than just an alphabet—it’s a new way of looking at lettering. The unique mix of materials and techniques challenges what typography can be, showing that even something as familiar as the alphabet can be transformed into something unexpected and full of character.
Bojun’s work stands out because it feels real and relatable. He takes simple materials like paper and spray paint and turns them into something exciting and thought-provoking. By experimenting and staying open to new ideas, he’s proving that creativity is all about trying new things and seeing where they lead.
With projects like Spray, Bojun is showing that design doesn’t have to follow the same old rules. His bold approach and fresh ideas are inspiring others to take risks and see the possibilities in their own work. It’s clear he’s just getting started, and we can’t wait to see what he creates next.
