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在线翻译:
szdaily -> Culture
Catchy Shenzhen designs shine in London
     2013-September-26  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

    

Cao Zhen

    caozhen0806@126.com

    A DELEGATION of more than 20 Shenzhen design companies exhibited their products at an international design event in Britain last week, showing the world Shenzhen designs that emphasized practicality and innovation along with Oriental aesthetics.

    Led by the Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association (SIDA), local companies including Shenzhen Titian Furniture, Jingchu Furniture Design, Top Furniture Design, Jianmo Furniture Design and YQ Design showcased more than 100 works at the 100% Design exhibition at Earls Court in London from Sept. 18-21.

    Self-billed as Britain’s largest and leading contemporary design event, 100% Design attracted architects, designers and industry insiders from all over the world who displayed their latest products, exchanged ideas and sought business opportunities.

    “We had cooperated with Shenzhen designers in past events and accumulated useful experiences,” said William Knight, the 100% Design show director. “Through examining the Shenzhen works, we find emerging design talents from China and see huge market potential for Chinese products.”

    The theme for this year’s 100% Design was “creative balance,” referring to the challenge faced by designers and organizations to achieve both commercial and critical success.

    “This year, we avoided concept works and exhibited practical products, some of which had been successfully sold at markets,” said Feng Changhong, SIDA’s executive vice president and secretary general.

    With more than 500 members, including design companies and manufacturers, SIDA is a government-authorized organization that promotes innovation and seeks international and national cooperation for Shenzhen designers.

    “This year, we targeted European tastes and didn’t emphasize too many Chinese elements in the products, while incorporating modern and simple European styles,” Feng added.

    It was the third year for Shenzhen designers to attend 100% Design. Although Shenzhen products drew international attention at the 2011 and 2012 exhibitions, as well as this year, Shenzhen designers said they still feel a gap between themselves and their Western counterparts.

    Huang Jing, a designer with YQ Design, said Chinese designs draw inspiration from traditional Oriental culture, while Western designs place more emphasis on innovation and practicality.

    Zhang Jun, general manager of Top Furniture Design, said that in terms of materials, Chinese furniture designers focus mostly on wood, while Western designers use a broader variety.

    Zhang exhibited a metal chair and two side tables made of metal and wood at this year’s exhibition. “After attending the previous exhibitions in the past two years, we realized that Shenzhen and European designers differ in their thoughts and market orientations,” Zhang said. “This time, we designed our products based on European markets, so we adopted simple, concise styles.”

    SIDA’s Feng said many Shenzhen designs were praised by visitors for their innovative elements and interesting styles. A small wooden table designed by Kongwu Design, for example, features legs resembling tree branches. The legs form an equilateral triangle creates a very stable structure.

    Solar-powered candles created by Shenzhen CIGA Design were again praised by visitors for their environmentally friendly design, after receiving a large amount of orders from international companies last year. The candles can stay lit for 10 hours after absorbing solar energy for four hours.

    Shenzhen and Taiwan were the only Chinese delegations to attend this year’s exhibition. During the exhibition, a Shenzhen-London economic and trade exchange fair was held Sept. 21, attracting 15 countries, including France, Germany, Japan, Finland and Russia, to discuss strategic cooperations with Shenzhen in creative industries.

    French designer Bruni Frisono said at the fair that he had been paying attention to Shenzhen designs for two years and wanted to know more about the Chinese market. He thought this year’s Shenzhen exhibits had a greater variety of styles and better quality than previous years’.

    “It was generally believed that Shenzhen’s design originated from copy-catting Western works. But under the circumstances of globalization, copy-catting cannot make designers live anymore,” Feng said. “For Shenzhen’s future, I think designers should find a balance between universally accepted modern elements and personal, unique culture.”

    The 2013 100% Design event drew more than 500 exhibitors and 30,000 designers. The exhibition was defined by four key industry sections: interiors, office, kitchen & bathroom and eco-design & building.

    The interiors section explored the growing emphasis on 3D printing as an accessible method of production. The office section showcased a dynamic space allowing multiple options to meet differing needs of ever-evolving workspace environments, with concepts such as hanging wall partitions that can descend and change the nature of rooms.

    The eco-design and building section brought a strong presence for materials and material technology to the show. The show’s farm kitchen explored the integration of micro-agriculture within the vital social experience of the kitchen.

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