CAO ZHEN
Traditional plant dyeing and modern design
曹震－伝統染色工芸と現代デザイン
Cao Zhen, a Chinese cutting-edge designer and plant dyeing scholar, graduated from Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, under the famous Chinese design educator professor Han Jiping. He was the art editor of the art research magazine of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He is keen on the combination of traditional Chinese handicraft and modern design, its graphic design, product design, multimedia and exhibition design has repeatedly won design awards at home and abroad.
中国の新鋭デザイナー、草木染研究家曹震は、北京印刷学院で中国の著名なデザイン教育家韓済平教授に学んだ後、中央美術学院美術研究雑誌社の美術編集者を経て、中国の伝統工芸と現代デザインの融合に強い関心を持った。彼が手がけたグラフィック、プロダクト、マルチメディア作品が数々の国内外のデザイン賞を受賞。
His graphic design work “Related to ink painting” considers the philosophy from ink painting to traditional Chinese culture; The “MAKE YOUR OWNLIFE” calendar design is a philosophy of time, defined by a user’s personal habits. “INNER” is a sample book of rice paper with a cover designed as mirror silver to simulate the reflection of a mirror and express the relative philosophy. In 2007, sample book design of “JIFFY Notebook”, combining UV brightness characteristics with plain texture paper, “dirty” became the traces of daily life, and finally settled the philosophy of exploring life, natural and simple. His work won the 2008 German Red Dot Design Award and was selected into HKDC DFA design award.
装丁作品「水墨との関係」 は、水墨を通して中国の伝統哲学について考え、カレンダー「MAKE YOUR OWNLIFE 」は使用者の習慣によって特定の時間を定義した時間の哲学を表現。宣紙の見本帳「INNER」は、表紙に鏡面シルバーを用いて鏡のように反射させ相対的な哲学を表現。2007年の作品「JIFFY Notebook」はUVの光特性と素朴な質感の紙を組み合わせ、「汚れ」を日常生活の痕跡とした自然な生活哲学を探索。その作品で2008年ドイツのレッド・ドット・デザイン賞、HKDC DFA デザイン大賞を受賞。
In 2016, he served as the special expert of the school of intangible cultural heritage of Sichuan University of cultural industry and participated in the Qiang cultural and creative product development project and Guizhou poverty alleviation project, making positive contributions to the innovation of traditional crafts, inheritance and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage. From 2016 to 2018, he planned revival activities and exhibitions of folk art such as “Having an affair with art”, “Looking for Chinese cloth” and “Looking for Chinese color”. Planned and launched in 2018, “Looking for Chinese color, color code” hidden in plant project, making field validation for regional difference of Chinese traditional plant dyeing techniques. Explore the creation origin of Chinese traditional color, with the presentation form of cultural dialogue, theme workshop, interactive experience, and derivatives, seek plant dye a variety of possibility of regional differentiation, trying to make Chinese traditional color in the fusion of tradition and innovation into the modern life.
2016年に四川文化産業学院無形文化遺産学院の特任専門家を務め、少数民族チャン族の工芸を用いた商品開発プロジェクトと貴州貧困援助プロジェクトに参加し、伝統工芸の革新と無形文化遺産の伝承に貢献。 2016年から2018年にかけて、「芸術に染まり」「探索・中国布」「探索・中国色」などの民芸復興活動や展示を企画。2018年に「探索・中国色―植物に隠されたカラーコード」 プロジェクトを立ち上げ、中国の伝統植物染の地域差を実地検証。現在もワークショップ、空間やインタラクティブな体験、商品開発を通じて、植物染の地域多様性を研究する一方、中国の伝統色を現代の生活へ取り入れる活動を展開中。
［Photo / 写真］
Upper right / 右上）“Related to ink painting” /「水墨との関係」
Middle right / 右中央）“JIFFY Notebook” /「JIFFY Notebook」
