Xinghan Yang

A thousand years ago in Lin'an, people told stories about a phantom thief called Wo Lai Ye. He came and went without a trace, good at tricks and clever plans. After each heist, he left his name with movable-type printing blocks where everyone could see it, then disappeared into the night. Welcome to the phantom thief's night world.

Typography experiment: fusion of Chinese Song‑style serif strokes and medieval Gothic script

Printed works and inspiration

Based on the ancient city map recorded in Xian‑Chun Lin’an Zhi (Southern‑Song local gazetteer), this print analyses urban spatial details. Inspired by the story of the phantom thief surveying terrain before a heist, it translates the ancient city layout into wearable printed textile fabric.

Using common tools of thieves as design elements, this print creates cypher‑carrying letterforms, spelling out “COME”. Morse code is also integrated into the textile. The work visualises multiple encrypted communication methods for information transmission within the print pattern.

This print interprets the scene of illumination in darkness. Incense sticks are used as a substitute for candles, while geometric colour blocks depict shifting light and shadow.

Here I Steal, Image 2. The source material is a photograph of my own eyes. Designed in Adobe Illustrator, it incorporates the linear forms, colours and textures unique to Glasgow’s Brutalist architecture. It conveys the phantom thief’s resolve as he locks onto his target amid layers of buildings.

This print is a close‑up detail of the phantom thief picking a lock. From the thief’s subjective viewpoint, it contrasts aged brick walls against metallic door‑lock textures. Hand‑drawn strokes symbolising “precision” and “warning” are placed along the sharp dividing boundary in‑between.

Drawing on the dramatic camera framing of graphic novels, this close‑up captures the exact moment the phantom thief seizes the treasure. According to legend, the phantom thief possesses extraordinary hands; master thieves are depicted with well‑defined joints and long, slender fingers.

"Here I Escape!" Walking along the River Clyde, I watched workers hoisting the giant Glasgow Rose art installation using the Finnieston Crane. This scene instantly inspired me: it could be re‑imagined as a phantom‑thief escaping over a wall, suspended by rope. Referencing the steel framework of Finnieston Crane, I place massive steel beams across one‑third of the composition, creating a visual contrast against the fleeing phantom thief.

The colour palette draws inspiration from the game Persona 5. Combined with traditional Chinese motifs such as cloud patterns and stone plinths, it reconstructs the setting of wealthy residences in the Southern‑Song Dynasty.

Calligraphic title artwork inspired by the murals beneath the Kingston Bridge. The color palette draws stylistic reference from the Brutalist Cadogan Square Car‑Park building.

Based on draping experiments, I developed this sketch work.

Phantom‑thief fashion illustration. The outfit is primarily designed as a night‑travel robe, with printed fabric connected through buttons and buttonholes, and freely draped and sculpted on the body.

This set of documents records the whole process including draping, fitting‑to‑wear, pattern revision, decorative detail addition, and final finished‑garment outcome.

First draping test for “Here I Come‑2”, with newly‑added strap details

By piecing fabric panels together, the printed textiles are constructed into a night‑travel robe worn on the body, creating a mysterious aura and sharp visual impact reminiscent of a phantom thief.

Fabric print close-up