The New York Times, Op-Ed / Article by Michael Cunningham / Art Direction: Aviva Michaelov

Word as Image

This project started nearly twenty years ago as an assignment in my typography class at art school. Students were encouraged to see letters beyond their dull, practical functionality.

The challenge is to visualize the meaning of a word, using only the graphic elements of the letters forming the word, without adding any outside parts. The challenge was very hard, but the reward of “cracking” a word felt great. So this became a lifelong project for me.

In 2011, I published a book called “Word as Image” containing nearly 100 words.

It Died for Us, The New York Times, Week in Review Cover / Article by Frank Bruni / Art Direction: Nicholas Blechman / Photo: Daniel Root

Xbox Kinnect, GQ Germany / Art Direction: Jana Meier

Ji Lee was born in Seoul, Korea, raised in São Paulo, Brazil, and lives in New York City. Ji works on both personal and professional projects. Ji loves bicycling, animals, miniatures, Japanese food, jazz and karaoke.

Ji Lee

Enemies: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Lee Myung-bak, President of South Korea, are unlikely to be keen on this picture

Benetton was forced to pull into a humiliating climbdown today as the clothing company was forced to pull one of its images from its new 'Unhate' campaign. The Italian firm withdrew the photograph featuring Pope Benedict XVI kissing a senior Egyptian imam on the lips after the Vatican denounced it as an unacceptable provocation. Benetton had claimed its 'Unhate' campaign, which was launched today, was aimed at fostering tolerance and 'global love' but would have known how much trouble they were likely to stir up.

The campaign's adverts include digitally altered pictures half a dozen world leaders to show them kissing.

Combating hatred: Benetton hope the controversial images will help create tolerance around the world. This picture shows China's leader Hu Jintao and Barack Obama

The windows of the Benetton Store in Paris

Benetton said the photographs of political and religious leaders kissing were 'symbolic images of reconciliation - with a touch of ironic hope and constructive provocation - to stimulate reflection on how politics, faith and ideas, when they are divergent and mutually opposed, must still lead to dialogue and mediation.'

In a statement, the Treviso-based manufacturer said: 'We are sorry that the use of an image of the pontiff and the imam should have offended the sensibilities of the faithful in this way. We have decided with immediate effect to withdraw this image from every publication.'

Unhate Foundation

Your signature has the power.

Advertising Agency: TBWA Paris, France
Creative Director: Erik Vervroegen
Art Directors: Jessica Gérard-Huet, Marianne Fonferrier