Global designers embrace Chinese cultural elements

A group of leading international designers gathered to share their ideas inspired by Chinese culture during Global Design: Inspired by China, a forum which was held at the Beijing Conference Center on January 17 and 18.

The guests had talks on how to promote the global design and cultural industries with the inspirations provided by Chinese elements.

British designer Christopher Jenner made a presentation on his artistic creation inspired by Chinese ceramics. Ever since he saw a ceramic teapot at a Shanghai market in 2009, he has been fascinated by it. "That natural, earthy type of clay is completely magnificent," Jenner said.

In April last year, Jenner had a cultural exploration in the city of Yixing, Jiangsu Province, where this traditional ceramics originated. He cooperated with a local craftsman surnamed Wu to produce ceramic tea ware combining traditional craftsmanship with modern creativity.

Later Jenner put several pieces of his tea set on exhibition in Milan, which he believed could "educate western consumers about Chinese tea culture in a true way."

British designer Christopher Jenner (left) [Photo: China Plus/Sang Yarong] The ceramic tea ware produced by Christopher Jenner (right) [Photo provided to China Plus]

Studio Swine is a team consisting of Japanese architect Azusa Murakami and British artist Alexander Groves. The two introduced their art project Hair Highway which is inspired by the ancient Silk Road that had linked the east and the west.

They became interested in delicate silk during their half-year stay in Shanghai when they came to China for the first time in 2014. And then the duo travelled to visit hair markets in Shandong Province to collect human hair, which they thought could be used creatively in their products.

Studio Swine created a composite material by infusing human hair in natural resin as an alternative to wood. As a result, they produced a series of exquisite items with human hair as decorative materials. "When the transformation happens, you can see more than hair but a representation of art like processing silk," said Groves.

Studio Swine (left) [Photo: China Plus/Sang Yarong] Exquisite items Studio Swine created from human hair and natural resin (right) [Photo provided to China Plus]

Other speakers include German architect Ole Scheeren, who designed Beijing's Guardian Art Center that corresponds with old Beijing quadrangle courtyards, and British designer Paul Cocksedge, who created "Kiss Shanghai," a lighted tree device installed in Shanghai.

A new website themed on creative Chinese culture also launched at the forum in partnership between some Chinese cultural organizations and international media groups.

"Each year, we will issue a top 100 creative list on the website, focusing on leading international designers embracing Chinese culture, and will hold an 'Oriental Fashion Awards," said Kang Jiaqi, president of the Oriental International Modern Art Council, the main organizer of the forum.

President of the Oriental International Modern Art Council, Kang Jiaqi, does an interview with China Plus at the Beijing Conference Center on January 18, 2018. [Photo: China Plus/Sang Yarong]

"Design can serve to promote traditional culture by producing fashionable daily products encoded with cultural elements," Kang added. "We hope the website can serve as a platform for designers and artists at home and abroad to exchange ideas on rediscovering more Chinese cultural elements."