December 2011
37 posts
5 tags
Happy New Year
View from 7th floor, Liang Dian Design Center.
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Shan Design Studio
Shan is a Beijing-based, multi-disciplinary design studio that places great emphasis on culture and concept. Founding designers Yao Ye and Lee Xibin exhibited in Milan last year and were recent recipients of the JP TDC 2011 award from Tokyo Type Directors Club. I caught up with Yao Ye and Lee Xibin to find out more.
Where are you both from and what did you study? Yao Ye (YY): I was born in...
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Creative Future Opening Season: AV@AR
Co-presented by onedotzero and the newly opened CMoDA (China Millennium Monument Museum of Digital Arts) in Beijing, AV@AR is the opening event of a series taking place under the theme, Creative Future. It entails three units: a multimedia exhibition, an audiovisual programme, and an interactive music video lounge.
With 10 installations from both Chinese and international artists, the...
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LDDC Housewarming Party
Liang Dian Design Center (or LDDC, Beijing’s very first center dedicated entirely to design) will be hosting a housewarming, after-Christmas and everything-in-between party. “So come on over to enjoy some finger food & wine, browse our current art & design exhibitions, get to know other creatives based in the building, and learn more about what we do”.
When? 29...
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More on The Opposite House
On display until 9 January 2012, the ‘solar tree’ at The Opposite House is constructed of 105 reclaimed solar thermal vacuum tubes. The Christmas tree is nearly 6 metres in height and 4 metres wide at its base, and a three-dimensional solar energy icon (designed by German graphic artist, Karl Duschek) replaces the traditional crowning star to represent the potential of solar power....
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The Strategy of an Empty City
“[Zhang Hongbo’s] works present a kind of familiar but also strange visual experience. They seem familiar because they are of existing public, political, economic and cultural spaces that urbanites use on a frequent basis. They are strange because those places are usually always crowded but, now, the people are missing”. Via ArtLinkArt.
The Strategy of an Empty City: Zhang...
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Huang Yichuan
Beijing-based jewellery designer, Huang Yichuan, has quickly gained recognition for her blue and white porcelain collections. Majoring in fashion design in her native Hangzhou, the young designer has always been strongly influenced by a love for antiques. Her first porcelain necklace was actually born “simply because my skin was allergic to many necklaces sold on the market”; since...
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Surface Magazine
Make sure to grab a copy of Surface magazine (Feb 2012 edition) for their feature on Chinese design, which includes profiles on Sun Yun, Lost & Found, Li Naihan and Sun Wentao. Meanwhile, here’s an exclusive sneek peak.
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Shi Qing x Arrow Factory
Instigated earlier this month, Nothing Lasts Forever is a project by Shi Qing which uses the physical site of Jianchang Hutong “as a space for dissemination — not of ideas or information — but of raw materials. Shi Qing has designed and built eight different types of road blockades reminiscent of makeshift barriers often found on battlefields or in besieged urban areas. Each is ...
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Yiyi Wang
Yiyi Wang is a senior student majoring in Fashion Design at Raffles Design Institute, Beijing and her graduate collection, Silk Life, recently won second place in the annual Raffles-BIFT fashion show (see interview with Academic Director, Vincent Rondia). Lynn Zhang of Design China sat down with the young designer to discuss life as a Raffles student, her graduate project and the inspiration...
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More on Vega Zaishi Wang
New S/S 2012 collection, just released. See more.
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Graniph Design Award 2012
Earlier this year, NeochaEDGE collaborated with Graniph on a series of t-shirts illustrated by Chinese designers and artists. Now, Graniph are opening up calls for entry to a larger audience. Twelve awards are up for grabs, including the production and sale of successful designs, and submissions will be accepted from 1 February-31 March. Details.
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Signed-by
Signed-by is a concept store located in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong and a space dedicated to avant-garde fashion and design. Founded by Nicola Borg-Pisani of ilivetomorrow, Signed-by collaborates with designers from around the world (including Beijing’s Triple Major) “to propose a unique experience of daily life and domestic environment”. Make sure to check out their new website,...
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Professor Ma Quan
Professor Ma Quan currently acts as head of the Department of Visual Communication at Tsinghua University in Beijing, as well as Director of the Institute of Brand Design Communication. With a background in advertising and packaging design, Professor Ma has been working with his team to improve the visual identities of various cities across China. I visited him in his studio to discuss latest...
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Mary Ching
“Luxury shoe brand Mary Ching is known for a lot of things – understatement not being one of them. Now, and fittingly, the label’s new Shanghai HQ, housed in Bridge 8 Creative Zone, mirrors the unabashed opulence, playful eccentricity and downright fabulousness of the shoes themselves”. Via CreativeHunt.
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China Fashion Collective
“If you move in China fashion circles, you may already know Timothy Parent of chinesepeoplehavenostyle, or at least seen him around. Always stylishly dressed, he can generally be found hobnobbing with Shanghai’s movers and shakers, darting between studios on his trusty scooter, or casting a critical, informed and generally shaded eye on catwalk shows across China. Fuelled by a...
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Season's Greetings
Design China will be taking an early Christmas break. We’ll be back soon; meanwhile, please enjoy these images from recent creative events. Season’s Greetings everyone!
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Paper Terrestrials
Created by Yan Wei, Blake Stone-Banks and like-minded artists, Beijing-based Paper Terrestrials curates and screenprints work by inspirational designers, illustrators and artists from across China. The 2011 Paper Terrestrials Debut Series includes prints by Yan Wei, Ray Lei, Tang Yan, Nod Young and Chairman Ca.
www.paper-t.com
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Qeelin
Last month, Qeelin unveiled its latest collection of pendants and necklaces inspired by ancient Chinese vases. “An evocative symbol seen throughout the history of ancient Chinese art, the distinctive silhouettes of [these vases] are a common sight on traditional paintings, sculptures and screens. The collection’s name, Bao Ping, can also literally be translated as...
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Li Degeng x Shenzhen-Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of...
This week, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture 2011 preview opened to press. According to designer, educator and former Beijing International Design Triennial 2011 curator, Li Degeng (who is also involved in the Biennale), “the development of China is like an event in itself” and “China is experiencing a consequential series of revolutions in order to construct...
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Shanxi Cave Houses
Who said China doesn’t have a long design history? I’ve long been told about these Shanxi cave houses (or yao dong) “dug like caves directly into the hillsides. Sometimes the façades [are created from] stone, while poorer dwellings have mud façades with latticed windows and doors. As China modernises beyond recognition, yao dong are being appreciated as a unique cultural...
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Nuandao Soft Launch
This week, Nuandao are unveiling their online design store for the first time to selected media and blogger friends. To celebrate, they are hosting an (offline) event at Jam Bar in Beijing tomorrow “where you will [be able to] preview a portion of the designers’ works on a special Christmas afternoon”. For those unable to attend, the products will be featured in an online...
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Wuhao Winter Installation Party
A rather poetic explanation:
“This Saturday (10 Dec) from 3.30pm till full moon, it is time for Water-Winter to feed the magical Earth. Magnetic black, silicon dresses, blue men, precious hair and standing bones, reflecto games, sweet cashmere and honey phoenix will search the sky-pond for new pearls of wisdom.
Come and share with us the transformative power of water and MPMP’s...
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Shanghai Trio Event
Shanghai Trio are holding a “Spirit of Christmas” event at their Village North, Beijing store both today and tomorrow (8-9 Dec); from 5-9pm. See you there!
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Trace Architecture Office
Trace Architecture Office (TAO) was founded by Li Hua in 2009. Based in Beijing, TAO is a design studio committed to architecture, urban, landscape and furniture design. One of their most interesting projects - the rebuilding of a local school - was realised just last year, and exemplifies careful consideration of the environment, as well as function and form:
“The old Xiaoquan...
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Niu Xiaosheng
Beijing-based illustrator, Niu Xiaosheng, has just released a series of cool, new works. Check them out via NeochaEDGE.
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IdleBeats Screen-print Art Show
“Head to Foundry Gallery, Shanghai on 10 December for IdleBeats’ very first screen-print art show. The exhibition will feature 80+ posters and art prints, originally created by IdleBeats duo Nini Sum and Gregor Koerting along with artists from over 10 countries, all hand screen-printed in limited editions at IdleBeats’ Shanghai studio”. Via CreativeHunt.
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More on Tranquil Tuesdays
Tranquil Tuesdays have just launched their online store!
“Right now on our Facebook Page, we are celebrating the launch of our online store with a crazy discount code to save even more off your entire order. The offer is only valid until 8 December, so go on over to the Tranquil Tuesdays Facebook Page to learn more”.
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Sustainable Design Showcase
Presented by Raffles-BIFT, Beijing and We Impact, Sustainable Design Showcase is an exhibition that features eco-design projects from students of the Raffles-BIFT 3D Department. “The aim is to bring about awareness…on the importance of sustainability and how creative design thinking can be used to inject simple yet innovative changes into both our lifestyle and the...
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Dooling Jiang
Dooling Jiang is a Beijing-based fashion designer. Originally from the south, she studied at Raffles Design Institute, Beijing before taking up a course at Central Saint Martins, London in 2008. Upon returning to China, Dooling set up conceptual fashion brand, Digest, and was invited by Ou Ning to take part in the 2011 Chengdu Biennale earlier this year. Her second Digest collection was released...
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Book Release
“Young, enthusiastic and ambitious - this was Dutch architect John van de Water when setting off to a rapidly modernising China in 2004. His intention was to put into practice in China the internationally recognised ideas of NEXT Architects, the firm in which he is a partner. The years that followed were hectic, with more than a million square metres’ worth of projects realised...
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Matthew Niederhauser x Ai Weiwei
“In a crazy sense, I think the political space in China has truly transformed Ai Weiwei’s life into an interdisciplinary work of art or a ‘social performance’ as he calls it. His invocation of the Chinese state’s ire came through a combination of critical sculptures, writings, photographs, videos and installations. While these separate pieces might not be...
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Wuhao
A couple of days ago, I visited the lovely folks at Wuhao curated shop in Beijing to say hello and to catch up. I am hoping to post interviews with founder, Isabelle Pascal, and staff soon; meanwhile, read more about Wuhao via Stylites or see more images under the cut.
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y-town
Founded by Jamy Yang, y-town is a Shanghai-based experimental design brand. Jamy graduated from Zhejiang University and China Academy of Art, and was later awarded a scholarship for further study at Muthesius Academy in Germany. A former product designer for Siemens HQ, Jamy returned to China to set up Yang Design (the company behind y-town). Design China caught up with him to unravel details.
...
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Hot Dog Décor
Based in Shanghai, Hot Dog Décor is an interior and furniture design firm headed by Malaysian-born Chinese designer, Peter Lam. The young company “specialise in unconventional spaces that are surprising” and boast “a unique blend of different styles and elements to create spaces with personality and soul”.
www.hotdogdecor.com
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Ye Qizheng
“China’s fashion industry may only be in its infancy, but with Chinese designers increasing their presence and visibility at events like China International Fashion Week and Shanghai Fashion Week, and even expanding overseas, it may eventually become a global force to be reckoned with. With this in mind, we spoke to Shanghai-based fashion editor Ye Qizheng about the current...
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Judy Hua
“Since establishing her fashion label in 2004, Shanghai designer Judy Hua has gradually built a respectable following as one of the city’s most promising home-grown talents. Coming off a productive past few months during which she debuted her S/S 2012 ‘Fish in the Forest’ collection — a collaboration with artist, Wang Yuping — Judy recently sat down for a short...
November 2011
45 posts
13 tags
CreativeHunt
CreativeHunt is a service website focusing on “the myriad of creative industries in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou”. Along with regularly updated feature articles and columns, CreativeHunt offers an expansive creative agency directory, a jobs board, an events listings section, and more.
www.creativehunt.com