Whether it’s graduate shows or dedicated sections within major fairs like Design Shanghai (Talents being a prime example), platforms for young designers are proving to be crucibles of creativity. These stages offer emerging talents the opportunity to connect with the design world, while fostering the development of new ideas, the birth of collaborations, and the enrichment of the entire creative ecosystem.
Ming-Li Chang
Among the names that stood out in this edition is Ming-Li Chang, a designer raised between Taiwan and Yunnan, now based between Los Angeles and Shanghai. After graduating from ArtCenter College of Design in 2021, Chang began his professional career collaborating with Los Angeles-based designer Cory Grosser. Shaped by a personal and educational journey that intertwines different cultural influences, Chang’s work is imbued with a plurality of ideas and interpretations. With his research, the designer aims to push the boundaries of contemporary Chinese design, opening it to unexplored perspectives.
Dai lamp, design Ming-Li Chang
Showcased at Talents, Dai is a table lamp inspired by the message of emancipation of the hardworking women of the Dai people in Yunnan, shaded by a tilted straw hat. The table lamp’s design aims to celebrate and shed light on figures who are usually hidden. With a family background from Yunnan, Ming-Li sought to translate a mood and message that has accompanied him from an early age. The piece is inspired by a dance choreographed by Liping Yang in the early 2000s, representing the Dai women and their role in the community.
Dai lamp, design Ming-Li Chang
The distinctive tilted hat worn by each dancer, concealing their faces, focused attention on the movements and message of female empowerment within the dance. This iteration of the table lamp is made almost entirely of ceramic, the shade and base appear to utilize a slip-casting process to create sculptural forms. The ceramic base, made in collaboration with artisans and artists from Jingdezhen, lends itself to endless expressive possibilities thanks to unique glazes that enhance its materiality. The lamp, as a whole, aims to be a tribute to the Dai women, stimulating a reflection on their role in rural Chinese society.
Lotus Chair, design Ming-Li Chang
Among Ming-Li Chang’s other noteworthy recent projects is the Lotus Chair (2023), a finalist for the ICFF WantedDesign “Best of Launchpad” award. This chair, which reinterprets the design of folding chairs used by Ming Dynasty generals in a contemporary key, takes its name from the Chinese idiom meaning “from the mud but without stain.” The reference to the lotus flower, a symbol of purity and resilience, is a tribute to the designer’s grandmother and embodies the values of simplicity and inner strength. With its white accents, the “Lotus Chair” translates the complexity of the original structure into an essential and contemporary form.
