Istanbul-based designer and artist Mehmet Gözetlik has conceptualized famous brand logos through Chinese letterforms in his new series of works, entitled “Chinatown.” Each work is presented in a classic neon-light style and reappropriates Western logos and expresses them instead through simplistic Chinese language.

Lego becomes ‘Toy,’ Ford is represented as ‘Car,’ and Starbucks’ logo is manipulated to read ‘Caramel Macchiato.’ The “Chinatown” series explores the ideas of language and graphic representation, pitching the language of over 1.35 billion people against instantly recognizable imagery. Have a look at some examples above, then check the video below to see more.

Chinatown is a Chinese translation of the trademarks in a graphical way. It’s a carefully arranged series of artworks showcasing 20 well-known western brand logos with maintained visual and narrative continuity.

All of the brand logos are converted to neon style spot colours and line-based variations. Indeed, neon lights are not used as a medium but as a cultural symbol, which represent the aesthetic codes of China.