Deric Wu, a director of Star International Investment Group and the founding CEO of the renowned Chinese brands Sanyou Hui and Hongmen, is a multi-talented leader in art business and an expert in art design, with over 10 years of experience in product art design. His creation, the “Longmen Tea Box,” has been viewed billions of times in over 18 countries, and in 2017, it was the first story tea box to debut in New York’s Times Square and on the NASDAQ screen. His design of the “T-one” tea ceremony set a precedent in the Chinese field with the first velvet tea bag, inheriting and promoting the Eastern noble way of hospitality. His professional fields include industrial design, 3D art design, graphic design, experiential design, and design systems. His contributions to Eastern aesthetics and modern commercial applications have profoundly impacted the Chinese community, greatly enhancing the visual communication and emotional conveyance of art design and Eastern aesthetics on the world stage. His main works include Longmen, T-one, Songhe Fragrance Box, Pure One, and more.
The Change and Development of Chinese Art
The emergence and development of Chinese art, which began in China, is now flourishing in the wave of globalization. Compared to my arrival in the 1990s, today’s Chinese contemporary art has undergone earth-shaking changes. At that time, the Western world might not have fully recognized the phenomenon of “Chinese contemporary art.” On one hand, there was a lack of in-depth understanding of China’s art field and artists; on the other hand, some argued that Chinese contemporary art was merely a derivative of Western contemporary art.
However, after decades of accumulation, the influence of Chinese contemporary art at home and abroad has become increasingly prominent. In academic, collecting, and museum circles, people have begun to show deep respect and regard for Chinese contemporary art. Over the years, contemporary Chinese artists have showcased China’s profound cultural heritage and unique artistic style to a global audience through their works. They are no longer satisfied with simply imitating Western art but are beginning to explore and express their own artistic ideas and emotions.
Additionally, the development of Chinese contemporary art has also been recognized and supported by collectors and museums at home and abroad. Many important works of contemporary Chinese art have been collected and displayed in major museums, becoming a part of the world’s art treasure trove. This not only reflects the elevated status of Chinese contemporary art on the international stage but also highlights the global respect and appreciation for Chinese culture.
Looking back over these thirty years of development, we can deeply feel the significant progress of Chinese contemporary art. However, this does not mean that our journey has reached its end. On the contrary, there is still a long way to go for Chinese contemporary art. We need to continue to support and promote it, so that more people can understand and appreciate its unique charm. Let’s look forward to the future development of Chinese contemporary art and write new artistic chapters.
The Global Development of Chinese Culture
There is still much room for improvement in how to make more audiences around the world appreciate, understand, and savor the creativity of Chinese art. In the past thirty years, the main challenges faced by the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture and art are threefold: firstly, audiences may not be familiar with Chinese characters and culture; secondly, there is a relative shortage of professional art planning teams; and lastly, there are fewer courses in higher education institutions on Asian contemporary art and Chinese art studies. Art collection, exhibition, and research form an ecosystem, with each link related to the construction of the overall cultural atmosphere. In the field of art collection, although platforms like the Hong Kong Basel Fair have made Asian art a popular category, how collectors collaborate with relevant institutions to make Chinese artworks more accessible to the public and allow the broad masses to appreciate the magical beauty of Chinese art and understand the profoundness of Chinese culture remains a direction in which we need to strive.
Imagination of Future Cultural and Artistic Exchanges
We can no longer return to the world before the pandemic; that life has become a thing of the past, irretrievable. In the post-pandemic era, we need to explore and embrace new ways of communication. In my view, the key lies in our efforts to coordinate and integrate the “offline” and “online” aspects, as well as the “physical” and “virtual” experiences. The “offline” world is filled with physical exhibitions, allowing us to experience the charm of art firsthand; the “online” world spreads art further through the internet and social media, allowing more people to appreciate the charm of art.
Meanwhile, “virtual” is also an indispensable part, including virtual artworks like NFTs. These virtual artworks, as new phenomena, have sparked widespread controversy, but they have also injected new vitality into the art world in their unique way.
Sometimes, the harsher the reality, the more indispensable art becomes. In the world of art, we can find solace and nourishment for our souls. Let’s welcome the new trends in art in the post-pandemic era and make art a part of our lives.
