'Art & Design Tracks' exhibition showcases cultural fusion

Cultural and creative products designed by local companies and designers are on display at “Art & Design Tracks: The Fourth Cultural and Creative Design Exhibition in Shenzhen” at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum.

Cultural and creative products inspired by Guan Shanyue’s paintings on display at the “Art & Design Tracks: The Fourth Cultural and Creative Design Exhibition in Shenzhen” at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum. Cao Zhen

The featured designers at the exhibition employ keen observation and innovative thinking to draw inspiration from life, creating works that are filled with surprises.

Among the 189 items, some are inspired by cultural relics preserved in local museums or artworks collected by local art organizations. These products showcase a close integration of modern cultural and creative design with contemporary art, intangible cultural heritage, local culture, urban landmarks and environmental conservation, highlighting a trend of merging culture with innovate aesthetics.

A wooden incense burner designed by Shenzhen Daily's resident creative director Zee Wong is on display at the exhibition. Photo provided by Zee Wong

One exhibit contributed by Shenzhen Daily is a wooden incense burner designed by the newspaper’s resident creative director Zee Wong in 2022. It serves a dual purpose, accommodating both incense sticks and back-flow incense cones.

Zee Wong poses for a photo with a still from a video introducing her design. Photo provided by Zee Wong

Adorned with the letters S, N and G, the design commemorates the 20th anniversary of Shenzhen News Group. Wong revealed that the work was conceptualized in Shenzhen and crafted with the help of a carpenter in Zhongshan.

Huang Yunfei, a product design student at Shenzhen University, is exhibiting her bird-themed cultural and creative products. Born and raised in Shenzhen, Huang has been a bird-watcher for 10 years and an art enthusiast since childhood.

Bird-themed creative products designed by Huang Yunfei.

“This is my third time exhibiting works at the ‘Art & Design Tracks’ exhibition, where I’ve gained professional guidance and media promotion. Growing from student to designer and through participating in the exhibitions, I’m now firmly confident to use my cultural and creative products to raise awareness of nature protection in the future,” she said.

“Art museums in Shenzhen offer diverse cultures and interdisciplinary exhibitions, which have ignited my passion for nature, art and culture since my childhood and inspired my aspirations to incorporate art with public welfare,” she added.

The exhibition, inaugurated in 2020, documents the cultural and creative design development in Shenzhen, displays Shenzhen’s charm as City of Design, incorporates art into people’s lives and brings beauty into our daily lives.

A pair of sleek flip flops designed by Li Jiong.

Dates: Through Jan. 21

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays

Booking: WeChat account “gsyart”

Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Futian District (关山月美术馆)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit F