Talking Points: Ross Urwin


Creative director of Design Shanghai, Ross Urwin, explains why the event is a top choice for designers mixing the contemporary vibe with the traditional.


Words by Ross Urwin

China’s design industry is booming. The country is producing a generation of talented young designers who combine contemporary aesthetics with a respect for traditional Chinese heritage, materials and craftsmanship.

The pace and scale of China’s economic transformation has provided the perfect environment for the rapid growth of the country’s creative sectors, allowing enterprise, creativity and innovation to flourish.

Over the past five years, industry revenue has been increasing at an annualised rate of 13.7 per cent to $622.6bn in 2015. This high growth was largely due to upstream building construction growth and the expansion of interior design enterprises through a combination of online and offline promotion.

The interior design industry is expected to experience continuous rapid growth over the next five years, with revenue growing 8.3 per cent annually to $925.8bn.

Recent figures show that the number of interior designers in mainland China has increased to 600,000, while the number of creative studios, including architecture practices, interior design companies and property development firms, has risen to 200,000. The total number of practitioners stands at more than10 million.

Ross Urwin is creative director of Design ShanghaiRoss Urwin is creative director of Design Shanghai

This dynamism is reflected in the large number of Chinese designers participating at this year’s edition of Design Shanghai, Asia’s leading design event. More than 50 per cent of the exhibitors were local designers, including both established names and emerging talents.

There certainly has been an increased interest in Chinese culture, confirmed by a number of high-profile and influential cultural exchange events that are taking place around the world, such as the first ever UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange celebrated last year.

The installation New Craftsmanship by Yang House, at Design ShanghaiThe installation New Craftsmanship by Yang House, at Design Shanghai

As already mentioned, one of the most significant trends echoing through each sector of the design industry in China is the celebration of Chinese traditional craftsmanship and techniques. A clear example of this unique revival is represented by the work of renowned Chinese designer Jamy Yang, who presented the New Craftsmanship by Yang House installation at this year’s event.

The installation encourages the audience to rediscover traditional handicrafts and reflect on how Chinese tradition can blend with modern aesthetics and lifestyle. Many Chinese designers and architects are now producing beautiful contemporary design that incorporates both global and local elements of innovation. There is a newfound individuality, confidence and pride in Chinese design.

All the way from Belgium to show at Design Singapore, Buzzi Space – which also has a base in Japan – uses simple, sustainable design to meet the challenges of the collaborative workspaceAll the way from Belgium to show at Design Singapore, Buzzi Space – which also has a base in Japan – uses simple, sustainable design to meet the challenges of the collaborative workspace

From a geographical point of view, the state of design in China is, in some ways, representative of how design is growing in the rest of Asia. I feel there are similar trends happening around Asia when it comes to the evolution of local design movements. But as with most things in China, it is the speed that makes the point of difference: what would take 10 years to develop elsewhere takes two to three years to develop in China.

Shanghai is fast becoming the capital of design in Asia and it is leading the way together with a handful of other cities in China, such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou. These cities have all embraced design, art and fashion over the past decade; but by choosing Shanghai to host their platforms, Design Shanghai and other international design and art events have helped the city become the centre for design and creativity. It is a highly dynamic city, incredibly open to change and diversity, and this contributes towards a fertile territory for the creative community to experiment and grow.








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