Monthly Archives: November 2010

China, Design

Full Circle

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As I sit on a mini-bus stuffed 3 times over capacity from Wulingshan to Sanya, I reflect on memorable transportation encounters of the trip. Back in London I would have been somewhat grumpy at the prospect of 3 hours with a rucksack on my lap and 2 medium-framed ladies standing in what technically is the legroom that comes with the ticket of my seat. However being in China, I was instead thankful that not only did I have a seat but also a window to look out of. I had endured worse, much worse, plus these people needed to get home. While for me these episodes were one way trips, for everyone else it was a weekly, if not daily reality.

I have come to understand from my short time in China that for all the negative publicity in the news and the speculative hype regarding its economic development, for most people living outside the sphere of direct political influence, life is just about “getting on with it”. For those lucky enough to be reasonably well-off and well-connected it is an exciting endless sea of opportunities. For everyone else, while decisions made by the central Beijing government (whether right or wrong) may have a direct influence on their lives, all they can they do is adapt  to make the best of their situation. Changes are happening unimaginably rapidly, and the changes are happening to an unimaginably number of people.

It is because of these changes and people that I leave China with mixed emotions. I am torn between the negative destruction of the old and the positiveness of the new. For those living inside, changes can be either sources of opportunity or sources of struggle and disruption. Being amidst such chaos of people and noise has been at times overwhelmingly claustrophobic, but it has also given me the chance to see and experience many moments of surprising community humanness amongst strangers.

China, Design, Fashion

Edge of Extinction

Daoshun Village


“It is for the museum”.

The process of bark cloth making is physically demanding, and the most suitable tree is not only a protected species but also poisonous. It is therefore not surprising that bark cloth items are now made just for museums or tourist shows. Chengquan learnt the the craft from his father, who had in turn discovered the skill out of necessity in the army. “They had nothing to wear otherwise, it is warm and waterproof”. Today, with modern fabrics, there is no need for bark cloth, and he adds “It doesn’t look great, who would wear it?”

Bark cloth making, along with many traditional crafts, are what the government title as “intangible cultural heritage” and require preserving. Currently their preservation method seems to only involve retaining where possible the knowledge that still exists. The problem is that often this knowledge is a skill that is held in the hands of single craftspeople and needs to be passed down apprentice-style to the next generation. Without progression of the craft to produce items relevant to modern society, it holds no attraction to the younger generation. Without progression of the craft to attract a younger following, there are no apprentices to inherit this knowledge. Although museums are able to keep the crafts surviving for the time being by creating a temporary demand, in reality they are only really preparing for their extinction.

China, Design, Furniture, Product

Create Your Life

Man Xing Village

Sitting with HanYan’s family on their front porch, I find myself in admiration of their naturally creative Dai way of life. She is making a pouch, her father is building their new house’s toilet, and her granddad is making a bamboo container while at the same time supervising my first attempt at bamboo weaving.

Before her kind invitation to lunch (which comprised of vegetables and meats they had themselves grown and reared), I had passed by an elderly lady weaving at a loom in her front room, and met her neighbours Dai grandpa and grandma who were in the process of making bark paper for their traditional oiled-paper umbrellas.

Creating and making was everywhere you looked. We sat on bamboo stools her granddad had constructed, ate oranges off a table he had woven, refilled our rice bowls from an old bamboo pot her ancestors had made. The women wore beautiful tops and skirts they had instructed to be tailored in the style and fabric of their choice. For this community, creativity is not an occupation reserved for professionals, but for everyone as an integral part of life. In modern society, designers are always looking for ways to create bonds between user and products to prolong the life-cycles of objects and reduce excess consumption. The process of designing and making cannot help but create a strong attachment to the final outcome because of the thought and time required.  It makes me think, perhaps it is time that more of us stopped buying our lives pre-made in shops and instead created them for ourselves.

China, Design, Product

Don’t Worry, Make Money

Chengdu


Her father, being one of the few Chengdu Lacquer craftsmen remaining, was told by the government that his skill had to be continued. Unable to find students willing to commit to the long processes, she and her husband took over the business themselves. She proudly announces that they are the only ones still making and selling these precious objects, and she may be right. Earlier I had paid a visit to the one remaining factory, also set up by the government in an attempt to save the craft, which supposedly still produced traditional lacquerware. The eerily quiet building turned out to be more of a hobby workshop for the other remaining lacquer craftspeople of the city.

So what is the future for this craft?
As I left the lady’s shop, I was reassured that this craft will soon be dead, and that if I brought one of the several thousand dollar vases I would get a great return on my investment. It was not the answer I was expecting, but again she may be right.

China, Design, Fashion, Product

Craft for Change

Xining


Klaas, along with his wife, runs a project turned business that provides the structure within which poor semi-nomadic Tibetans are given the chance to improve their lives in the form of an additional source of income. After providing them with training in wool handicraft techniques that have been developed and progressed to suit the style and standard required to be sold in the modern westernized world, AmdoCraft places orders of designed products from them. These are then sold to shops and also in their own AmdoCafes.

Sitting in the cafe with a hot chocolate and cake, I contemplate why I am so drawn to this project. As a designer it is satisfying, as it illustrates how a well considered project and intelligent design really can make a positive difference in people’s lives. As someone living in an increasingly competitive capitalist world it is comforting, as it proves that business and human kindness can co-exist successfully. As a month and half long observer of China it is exciting, as it is hope that for those who want to continue living their own ethnic minority lifestyles but not struggle in poverty, there is an alternative to relocation, financial handouts and absorption into acceptable mainstream society.