Anne Zhang  

zhangy49@gmail.com

LAST week’s 100% Design exhibition in London offered Shenzhen a platform to show the world its Chinese-style design works. It’s also an opportunity for Shenzhen designers to observe the differences between Chinese and Western design.

The 100% Design exhibition, one of the world’s most prestigious design events, was held from Sept.19 to 22 at Earls Court in London. More than 500 exhibitors from over a dozen countries displayed thousands of works during the event.

As an invited guest for the first time, a group of Shenzhen-based design companies attended the 100% Design and their Chinese-style works drew international attention. But Shenzhen designers noticed that Chinese designs put too much emphasis on tradition and aesthetic and lacked practicality and innovation.

Eye-catching designs

In the 100% Design exhibition, the Shenzhen Pavilion had neither the biggest exhibiting area nor the best layout, but it was the most visited pavilion and gave the highest number of press interviews.

Compared with design works from other countries, Shenzhen’s exhibits displayed strong artistic sense and were loaded with cultural connotations.

A tea set designed by Kan and Lau Design Co. embodies the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth in the Chinese philosophy of Taoism. An incense holder “Long” or “Dragon” from LKK Design Co. depicts the zenith of a dragon’s life cycle, which indicates the start of falling and withering.

“You can tell as soon as you look at them that these works are from China,” Zhong Wen with the Rone Design Co. said. “Because most of them derive from aspects of traditional Chinese culture.”

Visitors were interested in the distinctive Chinese-style designs, such as the round-backed wind chair designed by Top Design Co. and the garment of plain gauze and a traditional cheongsam with peony by Tiening Iron Art and Sculpture Co. which recalled the style of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

“An increasing number of people are begining to notice China as having an up-and-coming design industry. Influenced by thousands of years of culture and history, Chinese designs are thought-provoking and inspirational,” said William Knight, the show director at the exhibition.

Big gaps

There are still obstacles for Chinese designers to overcome. Although Shenzhen designers draw inspiration from Chinese culture, their creations are also confined within those traditions. Western designs, by contrast, have broken the fetters of tradition and placed more emphasis on innovation and practicality.

Kong Desheng, general manager of the Kongwu Design Co., said Chinese furniture designers focus on wood and traditional styles, while Western designers use a variety of materials and explore different techniques in making furniture.

For example, Saint-Luc, a new furniture brand from France, based on an eco-friendly innovation: composite material reinforced with flax fibers. Flax is an ecological alternative to fiberglass. With similar mechanical features — it is twice as light and requires just a 10th as much energy to produce. Furniture made from such materials is renewable and recyclable.

In addition, Shenzhen designs are less pragmatic than their Western counterparts. Chen Chunhua, design director with Top Design Co., said most works from other countries can be taken back for daily use at home or in the office.

“But our works are more like works of art displayed in hotels and creative parks for appreciation rather than commodification,” Chen said.

Shen Baohong, general manager with the U+ Furniture, said Chinese designers should combine the Chinese humanistic spirit with the Western rational spirit in design.

“We don’t need to copy or follow the Western style. Instead, we should find a balance between traditional culture and modern elements and explore a unique way of developing Chinese design,” Shen said.

International cooperation

The 100% Design is not only a showcase of design works but also a stage where design companies can explore the market and seek international cooperation.

In a design and creativity exchange meeting during the event, more than 40 Shenzhen designers and about 150 design professionals from 30 countries exchanged their thoughts on the design industry and discussed potential future cooperation in design projects.

Ken Livingstone, former mayor of London, said the creative industry is a new and growing market and London is second only to New York City in this regard.

Shenzhen, appointed to the UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network as a City of Design, also has a booming creative industry. Zhou Xiaoming, who works at a Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom, said the U.K. is good at integrating design, engineering and brand building, while Shenzhen has a lower cost of production, an economy of scale and a growing market. “The U.K. and China should explore more opportunities for cooperation,” he said.

Debra Dunton with the Design Business Association in the U.K. said there is huge potential in the Chinese market, but the cost of developing furniture that would cater to Chinese would be tremendous. “Cooperation with Chinese design institutions would be the most convenient and most economic way to achieve the goal,” she said.