Rising Talents China: a new generation of designers
Saturday 19 January —
11:00
- 11:45
The Talks
Description
In an era of intensive Internet development, aesthetics gradually converge, design industry is influenced by robots/artificial intelligence.
How do designers express themselves and seek identity under the double attack of revolution of technology and thinking?
Nos partenaires : MINI
Participants
Frank ChouDesigner & Founder - Frank Chou Design Studio
Chen FurongDesigner & Founder - WUU
Mario TsaiDesigner & Founder - Mario Tsai Studio
Hongjie YangDesigner
Ximi LiDesigner & Founder - Ximi Li Studio & URBANCRAFT
Chen XingyuDesigner & Founder - Bentu
Stephanie ZaoFounder - DesignChain
Frank Chou
Designer & Founder - Frank Chou Design Studio
Growing up in China’s capital city, Beijing-born Frank Chou witnessed first-hand the dynamic changes afoot in his hometown over the past few decades. After graduating from Beijing Forest University, where he majored in Materials Science and Engineering, with a focus on wood science and technology, he travelled between China and Europe, accumulating international industry experience in furniture design, engineering and trade work. In 2012 he set up Frank Chou Design Studio, where he produces elegant, long-lasting, functional pieces which represent contemporary Chinese thinking, yet finely balance the needs of modern Oriental and future Oriental lifestyles. Frank has attracted worldwide attention through exhibitions at international design shows and collaborating with global brands, both as a designer and strategic consultant.
Chen Furong
Designer & Founder - WUU
Chen Furong, founder of lighting, furniture and accessories brand WUU, designs timeless, researchdriven collections which blend handcrafted techniques with a modernist vision. Born in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, he studied at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, majoring in Integrated Design. After graduation in 2012, he travelled with some friends more than 10,000 kilometres across China in a van, interviewing local creatives for an exhibition called Metaphysics. This led to his decision to embrace design as a lifelong career. Furong founded his Xiamen-based studio in 2014 and later that year participated in Homeland magazine’s Artisanship Revival program, where he worked closely with local craft artists in Fuzhou, combining technology with traditional crafts.
Mario Tsai
Designer & Founder - Mario Tsai Studio
Furniture, product and industrial designer Mario Tsai prefers to “use less, design better”. After graduating from Beijing Forest University where he majored in Furniture Design and Manufacturing, Mario travelled around China and Nepal to experience different lifestyles. He moved to Hangzhou in 2013 where he opened a shop with his younger brother, and in 2014 set up the Mario Tsai Studio. He has since worked with clients from China and Europe, and has participated in furniture fairs globally.
Hongjie Yang
Designer
Born and raised in China, Hongjie Yang went on to study in the USA and at the Design Academy Eindhoven, the Netherlands, where he received his Master’s Degree in Contextual Design. Yang is currently based in the Netherlands. His works examine the dichotomy between nature and culture.
Ximi Li
Designer & Founder - Ximi Li Studio & URBANCRAFT
Shanghai-based Ximi Li holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design from the China Academy of Art,Shanghai, and a Master’s Degree in Furniture Design from the Polytechnic University of Milan. He worked for leading designers Andrea Branzi and Luca Trazzi in Italy and, upon returning to Shanghai joined Neri & Hu, acting as Chief Designer for 6 years. In 2016 Ximi launched independent design studio Ximi Li and furniture brand URBANCRAFT. Working to create timeless pieces that integrate East and West, Ximi is committed to global cultural fusion, quality and good craftsmanship.
Chen Xingyu
Designer & Founder - Bentu
Design director Chen Xingyu founded design brand Bentu alongside Xu Gang, Peng Zeng and Chen Xingguang in 2011. A former Industrial Design graduate from Guangzhou University, Xingyu works to meet the problems raised by a rapidly developing society, recycling materials that others may deem waste – like coal cinder, construction waste and bone ash - and transforming them into furniture, lighting and accessories. His Guangzhou-based studio is known for experimentation, exploration and innovation, combining environmentally-friendly materials with commercial appeal, an approach which has won numerous awards, including a 2017 Red Dot Design Award.
Stephanie Zao
Founder - DesignChain
Stephanie Zao holds MSc in Urban Design Management from University of London. In 2014, she successfully brought LADCO to China and established DesignChain platform. Her goal is to take high-end international interior design and furnishing brands to China, and to build a high level eco system shared among clients, designers and brands, by integrating the best resources online and offline as well as combining the most advanced internet technology and data analysis. She is a leader with strong leadership and international vision. Just as she once said “we are innovative yet practical, confident yet persistent”.