The Chinese zodiac and the tiger sign
In the Chinese horoscope, there are 12 astrological signs, each represented by an animal in a specific order. The zodiac is a 12-year cycle with each year falling under one of the signs. Unlike Western astrology, which is based on the 12 months that make up a year, Chinese astrology is based on a 12-year lunar cycle. According to legend, the Jade Emperor, who was celebrating his birthday, did not yet have any way of counting the years so he could not be sure of his age. He therefore gathered a series of animals and organised among them a race across the river. The first twelve to reach the opposite bank would have a year named after them. The first year was therefore named after the first to arrive, and so on for the following years.
Ranked as the third sign of the Chinese zodiac, after the Rat and the Ox, the Tiger is known as the king of animals. People born in the year of the Tiger are considered courageous and active. They love challenges and adventure. The Chinese zodiac signs are highly symbolic and have always been widely represented on art objects, in homes and palaces, especially the tiger. Even though it has almost disappeared today, it reigned supreme in many forests and mountains of China and Korea. Its power and strength made it a symbol of protection.
The year of the tiger as seen by IFC students
KEDGE has teamed up with CAFA, the Beijing School of Fine Arts, one of the most renowned art schools in the world, to create a new Franco-Chinese Institute (IFC) in the innovative field of Art and Design Management. This institute will train Chinese art students in management skills for the rapidly expanding Chinese cultural market.
To celebrate the Year of the Tiger, the students of the Institute (CAFA-KEDGE) took part in a playful competition to represent their tiger. The winner was chosen for Kedge's Lunar New Year greeting card. All the students' creations will be presented in February.
Tiger by Crystal 王冰婷 (courtesy, student of the Franco-Chinese Institute of Art and Design Management (CAFA-KEDGE), Shanghai
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