When people talk about design in China, it is rarely mentioned with craft and innovation in the same breath. As we saw in the presentations in Milan, young designers in China are now sifting through the long history of specialty production and craft culture and staking a claim to change the conversation.
PINWU Studio was founded in 2008 by Domus Academy graduate ZhangLei to create products that marry traditional Chinese craft culture with a contemporary design aesthetic in what he terms, “Future Tradition.” Upon meeting Christoph John (German-born and a fellow Domus graduate) and Jovana Bogdanovic (Serbian-born product designer) three years ago in Milan, the three found a kinship in their perspective on design and soon John and Bogdanovic moved to China to join Zhang at PINWU Studio.
This year’s presentation From Yuhang, is the fruit of a two year dialogue and research intensive project; the three young designers traveled across the ancient Chinese district of Yuhang (located in Zhejiang Province not far outside Hangzhou) to explore local materials and seek out knowledgable craftspeople. “483 days, 17 traditional materials, 12 ancient villages, 10 designs, 8 craftsmen, 1 design team,” explains the designers. From Yuhang includes 10 designs that exemplify their experiments with local materials including Yuhang Bamboo, Water Silk Floss, Porcelein and Bamboo Paper.
Bamboo Paper Umbrella craftsmen in Yuhang
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