Bamboo has played a vital role in the history and development of Chinese culture. More recently, however, designers have started to appreciate the material for its light, resilient and sustainable qualities. Void of cultural attachment, their approach to handling bamboo as a relatively new design material contrasts greatly to age-old Chinese craft and technique. Beijing International Design Triennial (BIDT)...
Bruno Porto is a graphic designer, illustrator and educator based in Shanghai, China. His work has been published and exhibited worldwide, and he has acted as jury member for a number of awards and organisations, including SIB – Brazilian Illustrators Society and the Brazilian Graphic Designers Association. In addition to teaching at Raffles Design Institute in Shanghai, Bruno has...
Beijing Design Week 2011 will see the first Beijing International Design Triennial (BIDT) take place at the National Museum of China. The venue, located east of Tian’anmen Square, comprises of five halls and covers a total of 6000 square meters. Each hall will play host to one of five exhibitions organised by BIDT, and each exhibition (put together by...
With a growing membership of more than 6,000 young creatives, Beijing Original Design Promotion Association (BODA) seeks to support and promote original, young Chinese brands. The online platform functions in parallel to a huge exhibition space and store in trendy Sanlitun Village, and claims to be the first space in China to bridge manufacturers with designers. addthis_url ...
Created and nurtured at Piëch Asia Enterprises (PAE), Design Talent is a Beijing-based recruitment firm that specializes in China’s design industry. The company was founded by Anton Piëch and Philipp Michel to fill a gap in the market – to connect designers and businesses in China – and has grown exponentially over the past couple of years. In Piëch’s...
Beijing Design Week 2011 (28 Sept-3 Oct) aims to raise design awareness in China whilst strengthening creative, commercial and government ties between China and the rest of the world. According to creative director Aric Chen, the concept for BJDW is not only to showcase work from China’s new crop of designers, but also to act as a laboratory for...
Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design. It is the place designers turn to first to exchange ideas and information, participate in critical analysis, and research and advance education and ethical practices. AIGA sets the national agenda for the role of design in its economic, social, political, cultural and creative contexts, and...
Jonah Kessel is an interactive art director, visual journalist and nomadically curious photographer. He offers visual communications solutions across a wide array of platforms including videography, photography, mixed media production, print, web and interactive design. Motivated to “Imagine. Create. Inspire” and to use his passion for visual storytelling to bring about positive change, Jonah has continuously pushed the boundaries...
Founded in 1998 by Virginie Fournier, Shanghai Trio combines traditional Chinese craftwork with a modern Western touch for its innovative products. The brand makes use of both refined and rough materials, from bamboo and organic cotton to modern plasticized cloth and yak down, to revive simple products inspired by everyday Chinese life. Shanghai Trio is also a workshop committed to...
Render © Zaha Hadid Architects Earlier this year, Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou Opera House opened to the public. Shaped to resemble two pebbles on the bank of the Pearl River, the building boasts a 1,800-seat theatre plus 400-seat multifunctional hall, rehearsal rooms and an entrance hall, with claims of “an ambition and optimism that will create future.” Zaha recently visited...
