News about design in China
“The Year of the Dragon has been pretty good so far, so we’re very excited to launch our brand new Paper Dragon and Water Dragon designs! Our very popular ChinaType tees (pictured) received a colour revamp in time for the London 2012 Olympics. Cheer for China with the red/yellow China edition or show your support for the host with the blue/red UK edition. Furthermore, all our Kommute hoodies are now 20% off.” Find your closest store.
Born in Hubei, Zhu Chao is now a Beijing-based graphic designer who demonstrates real promise. His work was displayed at Tokyo TDC Annual Awards this year, and has previously appeared at GDC (in 2009 and 2011) too.
AIM, or Architects In Mission, was founded in 2010 by a group of young architects seeking to “carry forward their social responsibility as design professionals”. The driving force behind AIM is to develop fresh design talent by provoking thoughtful responses to specific and timely creative challenges. Last year, AIM held their second design competition in Beijing with the help of ZNA Architects, exploring “green” architecture. This year, the Organising Committee are looking for up to 10 volunteers to join the “backstage” team. E-mail info@aim-competition.com for more information.
The organisers of UK Now are out to prove a point: that this is one creative festival not to be missed! Here are a few snapshots from the “Experience UK Now” party, which took place at the British Embassy Residence last week.
“The 7th Affordable Art Beijing will be held at 798 Space on 2-3 June and we’ve been meticulously preparing for it. Our team of art fanatics has been scouring art villages and schools for talent, and has already found a few special gems. We’ll be bringing you a diverse mix of styles and mediums to satisfy your [creative] appetite. With all artwork under 20,000 RMB, you may need to start clearing more wall space”. Details.
Originally from Hebei Province, Wen Miao is a young creative based in Beijing. She completed an undergraduate degree in crafts at Tsinghua University and went on to complete a postgraduate degree in jewellery design under Teng Fei at CAFA. After graduating with her Masters in 2010, Wen Miao has been working in various roles, ultimately researching design aesthetics and collaborating with other designers. We spoke with her recently to find out more.
Following an agreement with Hong Kong publisher, Systems Design, COLORS Magazine will launch a Chinese edition of the publication that “talks about the rest of the world”.
From 20-25 May, Patrick Waterhouse and Enrico Bossan, respectively creative and editorial directors of COLORS, will be in Shanghai and Beijing to promote the initiative. A series of conferences have been organised “to present to the young people of China the story of a magazine that, for the past twenty years, has been portraying aspects of the world not usually in the spotlight”.
“Guo Pei is often described as China’s only couturier. The notes accompanying Chinese Bride, a two-day exhibition in Beijing’s 798, highlight the time taken to complete each of her outfits. The least time-consuming of all took 966 hours - well over a month if you worked round the clock. The most painstaking is an embellished pearl gown, which took 8026 hours to complete”. Continue reading.
“The MAD Travel Fellowship was launched by MAD Architects in 2009 to provide Mainland Chinese students with the opportunity to travel abroad and research an architectural topic of their choosing. It is only through travel – the visceral experience of walking into a space – that one can begin to understand the full context and meaning of architecture.
This year, 5 students will have the opportunity to travel for 7-10 days in their city or region of choice for independent study. Following their trip, the students will give a public presentation of their experience”. Applications due 30 June. Click for details.
Personally on the Scene: Art Expats in Beijing Exhibition Project is delighted to present its inaugural exhibition Microurbanism Interactions by Italian artist collective Marcella Campa and Stefano Avesani.
Initiated by Beijing-based curator Tang Zehui, Personally on the Scene is dedicated to presenting and promoting the work of foreign artists living and working in Beijing through a series of solo exhibitions and accompanied catalogues. Microurbanism Interactions, the first exhibition of the series, opens on 18 May at the Lobby Gallery of the Landgent Center in Beijing.
