DESIGN IN CH I NA
THE PERFECT CHRONOGRAPH
Designed in China – the new Made in China?
China has been something of a design wasteland over the last century but a new generation of furniture designers could well be putting China back on the design map. Tom Pattinson asks if China will soon be regarded as the world’s drawing board rather than just the world’s factory. Sadly there aren’t a lot of nice things to say
science, medicine, cartography, engineering
about most of China’s urban landscape – it’s
and design. Fast-forward another thousand
just pretty dull. I’m not saying that foreign
years to the Ming Dynasty and we were once
architecture in American or European is spot
again going through another design renais-
on and yes, there are lovely historical quarters
sance producing some of the most sought
and the odd glamorous garden to be found in
after products in the world. Now – over four
most of our cities, but generally this country’s
hundred years later – the Ming style furniture
modern buildings were created for function
and porcelain are still being replicated today
and not for aesthetics. Therefore many cities
by contemporary artists and designers.
are made up of functional soviet-style block
Creativity and design innovation was
buildings produced in standard concrete-
put on hold after Liberation as the focus was
grey, occasionally covered with public-toilet
put on increasing agricultural and industrial
white tiles, or more recently, anonymous
output at the expense of everything else.
reflective glass frontages. If you’re lucky you
Whether it was apartment buildings, house-
might fun with a gaudy faux temple roof perc-
hold furniture, or everyday kitchenware, the
hed on top. Our capital in particular is known
only requirements were high functionality
for its exceptional ugliness – an affliction that
and low cost. During this era, families all over
often occurs when aesthetics are replaced
the country owned the same mass-produced
with functionality on a tight budget.
goods such as the ‘Golden Dragon’ family thermos, a ‘Double Fish’ washing bowl or me-
Low-cost living
tal drinking cup. Ironically, today, these iden-
Architecture aside, the utilitarian functiona-
tical products are kitsch commodities that the
lism of the 20th century saw a glut of mass
younger generation and tourists alike, scour
produced products and furniture in nearly
the shops of Beijing and Shanghai in search of
every households. At that time, ensuring the
both originals and replicas.
welfare of the billion plus population was a much higher priority than object de art. Head back a millennia and a half howe-
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China reborn As the country began to embrace western
ver, during the seventh century, when most of
commercialism and increased its economic
Europe were living in mud huts in the depths
might during the ‘80s, elements of the coun-
of the Dark Ages, the Tang Dynasty were
try began to change. Individuals moved out
leading the world, creating breakthroughs in
of communal housing and, as a class system
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THE PERFECT CHRONOGRAPH
DESIGN I N CH I NA
emerged, people wanted to show their indivi-
tic wasteland of the Cultural Revolution; and
duality through their home and the products
the country’s education system has focused
in it.
more on rote learning than creativity or try-
The country became a global financial
ing anything original. Whilst China may still
and political player as it joined the WTO and
be regarded as the capital of copies there are
won the right to host the 2008 Olympics.
now over 400 design schools here, producing
Western architects vied to construct the tal-
10,000 design graduates a year who plan to
lest, sleekest and sexiest buildings in one of
change that.
the most talked about cities in the world. The skylines of Beijing and Shanghai began
Heritage rediscovered
to change; international architectural heavy
Some of the fine artists that have put China
weights such as Rem Koolhaus and Norman
in the global headlines are leading the way
Foster reshaped the capital, and the world
in now galvanizing a commercial design
watched as the capital turned into a global
scene. One of the artists is Shao Fan. This
metropolis. However the new buildings
45-year-old has made his international repu-
sprouting up were mainly created by Western
tation with his modern twists on traditional
architects and, as some have argued, lacked
furniture. He deconstructs the ancient de-
home grown talent. This was, according to
signs – taking replica Ming Dynasty furniture
some, because there simply is no local Chi-
apart and embedding it in modern materials
nese design talent.
such as transparent acrylic or black lacquer.
“Most Chinese design is either directly
Over the last decade Shao Fan unique style
copied or following trends in international
has gained him plenty of attention on the
design,” says artist and architect Ai Weiwei
global art market and his works have shown
“It’s true to say that China doesn’t yet have its own clear design aesthetic, but it’s wrong to say that there isn’t any good original design in China,” who worked with Herzog and De Meuron on
and Albert Museum’s ‘China Design Now’ in
has function, beauty and honesty, we either
London. What originally started as a satirical
have soulless and ugly buildings thrown up
art work to show the irony of so many antique
by State-owned enterprises or trendy young
furniture dealers selling fake ‘Ming Dynasty’
architects trying to create masterpieces.”
furniture, made from modern materials, is
However designer Ma Yansong of MAD Architects disagrees. “It’s true to say that China doesn’t yet have its own clear design
coincidentally, now becoming a template for much of contemporary furniture design. Shao Fan shares a studio in eastern Beij-
aesthetic, but it’s wrong to say that there isn’t
ing with a number of other up and coming
any good original design in China,” he says.
designers including Song Tao of Zizaoshe De-
“We’re starting again from nothing, and only
sign and Ah Lian. They are fusing their ideas
starting to discover ourselves and our identity
and now commercializing the artwork by
but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.”
creating modern furniture in a similar vein,
He’s right; design in China really is star-
using the elegance of the ancient Ming and
ting from scratch. It wasn’t until 1982 that
Qing Dynasty design with modern European-
the first design schools opened bringing the
style minimalism.
first elements of design back after the aesthe-
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around the world including at 2007’s Victoria
the Olympic Stadium. “Instead of design that
“Chinese design is about reinventing tra-
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DESIGN IN CH I NA
THE PERFECT CHRONOGRAPH
ditions, fusing them with Western influence
not be long before Lin Jing is seen as the
to create a very individual expression,” says
equivalent to French designer Philippe Starck
Pearl Lam owner of the Contrast Galleries
or British designer Terrence Conran.
where Shao Fan has exhibited. Zhang Hongxing, curator of the 2007
New identity
V&A exhibition agrees: “We like to see so-
But it’s not only the fine artists who are ma-
mething new but that also reminds us of our
king waves in design. As the ‘80s generation
heritage. I mean deep traditions, not superfi-
who grew up with iconic images of western
cial dragons and symbols.”
graphic design, architecture and furniture
Back at Song Tao’s studio, his sleek black lacquered tables and chairs are spread across the space. They have been featured in a num-
turn into adults, some are beginning to forge a name for themselves. One of those is Liu Feng of Pep Art + De-
ber of global design magazines but the es-
sign. His animal-shaped furniture has shown
sence of the design is still clearly Chinese.
not only in mainland exhibitions but also in
“A lot of people think furniture after the
Europe and he is not afraid to think beyond
Ming and Qing [era] doesn’t have any antique
what is regarded as the norm in Chinese de-
appeal and is not valuable, so I tend to draw
sign. “The important thing [in design] is the
antique elements out in contemporary pieces
originality of the idea and we’re starting to
of furniture,” says Song Tao. “I think Chinese
realise that more and more on the Mainland
furniture has actually been evolving quite
that boundaries don’t exist.”
well ever since the reform and opening.” As the domestic design market matures
As growing wealth leads to greater independence, the desire to show off indivi-
and the international art market increasingly
dualism is being seen increasingly through
looks to China, other artists have moved from
design. Mass produced furniture in functional
fine art, further towards commercial design.
housing are no longer what the younger ge-
Lin Jing created an international name dis-
neration of aesthetically aware entrepreneurs
fly to Jamaica time, write “He Thewould important thing [inaround design]Christmas is the originality of a Bond novel, return totheLondon at we’re the end of March, and that thenmore reviseand his idea and starting to realise manuscript which would published the more on the Mainland thatbeboundaries don’tfollowing exist.” spring. playing works from Berlin to London with
want, they prefer individually designed
stunning works such as Long Island Chaise
homes with unique interior designs that ex-
– a stainless steal chaise long. However her
press their individuality. From architecture to
works retain a strong traditional feel. Some of
furniture to crockery the new design-aware
her sleek works are carved from a single piece
population is turning away from mass-pro-
of wood, most have no straight or flat edges,
duced Made In China produce and turning
all of them have elements of traditional Ming
towards a new label – Designed in China.
design. “I find that Ming [style] is rather simple
As the young architect Ma Yansong says, it is only now that the country is in a stronger
and abstract, just right for my taste,” she says.
economic position that culture and creativity
At only 35 years old Lin Jing has also
become a priority for the people. “Ideas and
increasingly been regarded as one of the first
concepts take time to build, it’s natural that
generations of contemporary designers. Her
culture takes time to catch up with the eco-
porcelain, which has seen her branch from
nomy, but it’s only recently that people have
the art world to the commercial world, is
been able to afford to appreciate design,” he
widely available in design stores from Shang-
says. “We’re behind, but I’m positive about
hai to London with items such as her Qiqi
the future.”
tea-pot selling for around 1,500RMB; it might
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