Quirk85 reimagines East Asia’s overlooked post-war Modernist aesthetic through letterforms. Rooted in late 20th-century Korean and Chinese corporate design, it explores multi-script typography, logos and imagery from an era of rapid growth and productivity.

Minjong Kim initiated the project after discovering the design manual (1978) of the Korean corporation Ssangyong. Intrigued by its type design methods, he teamed up with Juanjun Feng to develop a typeface and editorial works. Their designs draw from shared childhood experiences of rapid economic transformations—marked by hyper-commercialised advertising, a demanding education system and rapid technological change—leaving a lasting visual impact on their design sensibilities.

Quirk85 examines misinterpretations of Western Modernism in East Asia and refines these imperfections into a contemporary tri-script typeface: Hangul, Chinese and Latin. It bridges design histories, fostering a visual dialogue on East Asian Modernism’s lasting influence.