China Culture Perspectives – serie

Step into the world of Cacaform Birds - a world that exists a half-pace to one side of our own, at the confluence of imagination, art and reality. Within these pages we meet the 'Glowerspite' (often dozes in a supine position; converts its tail to a head when startled) and the 'Mare-away' (who carries a small black troll on its back and rouses dreamers from night terrors), along with many more: a fantastical aviary brought to life by Zhu Yingchun's art. The book contains three parts, the first containing doctored photographs that show these birds interacting with sepia cityscapes, alternately goggled at and overlooked by the passers-by. The second introduces us to each individual species through poetic verse, while the third section must be carefully unsealed by the reader in order to reveal how the Cacaform Birds came into being. A blend of bestiary, spotter's guide and poetic anthology, this book demonstrates that art and amusement can be found everywhere, if you only care to look.

Based on the industrial manufacturing history of Shanghai over the past 100 years, this book introduces the development of Chinese design throughout the different eras of the People's Republic of China, from the planned economy stage to the later economic reforms and the opening up of the country to trade. We detail industrial-product design, packaging design, poster design, and other related subjects. The characteristics of each era are discussed in the following five sections: daily life, national image, transmission and reception, export trade, and communication and transportation. We approach each design from numerous perspectives, exploring its development as well as how it altered tastes and trends. These products were not just a symptom of change; they also answered social needs and spurred development, keeping China apace with production methods in Europe and giving ordinary citizens access to mass-produced luxuries like TVs, radios and cosmetics. The work of Shanghai designers was fundamental in turning China into the thriving economy we see today.

"The written word is the most basic element of human culture. To touch the written word is to touch the essence of culture." - Xu BingBook from the Sky certainly seemed to have fallen from the heavens: the text of this installation piece was written in a new language that resembled traditional Chinese. No matter who scours Xu Bing's book for 'meaning', they will only discover a semblance of it: mutated characters that resist interpretation. Carving out approximately four thousand wood blocks by hand, Xu Bing spent four years, from 1987 to 1991, making (in his own words) "something that said nothing". After creating a book no one could read, it only made sense for Xu Bing to develop his next project: a book that transcended barriers of language: Book from the Ground. Composed entirely of pictographs, Book from the Ground is a groundbreaking study into the concept of universal communication. Whether his goal is total comprehension or confusion, Xu Bing's masterful exploration of language challenges the way we think about the written word.

The provinces of China are united bytheir love of a good meal. Each has their own specialties and methods of preparation - all of which are, of course, purported to be 'the best'. Rather than attempting to cover the entirety of Chinese cuisine, this charming little book instead focuses on recipes born from melding the author's favourite family menus with tips on traditional preparationand table etiquette as dictated by Confucius 2500 years ago. The resultis an informative and delicious peek into the Chinese food culture of the early twentieth century. Requiring only minimal materials and expertise, the recipes are accessible and flavourful, while the insightsinto traditional Chinese eating customs will be of use for travellers hoping to dine authentically while abroad.Chow!guides the reader through the basics - how to wash rice, serve tea and make noodles from scratch - before introducing them to a variety of dishes based around meat, seafood and vegetables. Whether you seek familiar tastes or adventurous dishes, Chow! has it all: from stuffed mushrooms and fried rice to minced pigeon, crab fat with green vegetables and duck tongue soup.Text in English and Chinese.

Jamy Yang, an award-winning designerwith major partnerships to his credit, began his career in the industrial design department of the German manufacturer Siemans. Returning to China permanently in 2004, he founded his own company, YangDesign, which is now considered the most influential product strategy and design consultancy in China.This book explores Yang's creative ideology in 15 thematic chapters, beginning with 'minimalism' and ending with 'kindness'. It expands on his theories about the purposeof design, the dislocations that exist today in Chinese culture and aesthetics, as well as the differences between Chinese and Western design.Contents:Minimalism; Archaeology; The Disconnect; DNA;Craftmanship; Virtuality; Easy to use; Visuality; Touched; The Anomalies; Semantics; Modulation; Sustainability; Fragmentation; Kindness.

Leng Bingchuan: Master of Chinese Black and White Painting is the most comprehensive collection of ink paintings he has created so far, containing his 256 works from 1980 to 2000. Through these works, we can see the author's self-conscious pursuit of the theme, his straightforward, pure, strong and distinct characteristics, reflecting the spirit and charm of oriental art. With its unique cover design, LengBingchuan: Master of Chinese printmaking and Engraving also implies thedesign concept of minimalism.

Bentu is an award-winning, cutting-edge Chinese design company founded in 2011. It is known for innovative and engaged product and lighting design and manufacturing, with an emphasis on day-to-day functionality and attention to raw materials. The design teams have experimented extensively with the detritus of industry, including concrete, ceramic, metal and plastic pipes, and terrazzo.In this beautifully photographed book, the evolution of a product is shown, more than told. A stunning series of photos of raw materials and work sites follows the process from beginning to end, creating a visual storyline of environmental impact, innovative design, sustainability, reusability, local sourcing, and usage.

"...a significant contribution to the study of Chinese photography." – The Art NewspaperFrom political leaders to celebrities, photographic portraits exert considerable influence over our reaction to public figures. As the first academic publication focused on the Taikang photography collection, this book explores both the mechanics of portraiture and its psychological effects.Taikang Space is one of the most important non-profit art institutions in China. Based in Beijing, they focus on contemporary art and photography. The Chinese Portrait: 1860 to the Present is based on the framework of the eponymous exhibition, which ran at Taikang Space from March 2017. This book introduces the curator and researchers involved with the exhibition, as well as researchers such as Shi Zhimin, Jin Yongquan, Liu Jianping, Liu Zhangbolong, who deliver their own unique angles on the topic of portrait photography. The Chinese Portrait: 1860 to the Present also features the curator's interviews with Qia Sijie, Chen Shilin and Zhang Zuo - respectively the personal photographer, standard portrait re-toucher and darkroom technician of Chairman Mao.

Shanghai, second largest city in the world, is a hub of humanity. Never sleeping, never quiet, it is a flourishing centre of commerce, finance and art. To Jin Yucheng, bestselling author of Blossoms, Shanghai is home. His art is steeped in the city’s rhythms and quirks. The paintings in this volume compose a love poem to Shanghai, while acknowledging the lonely absurdity of modern urban life, and offering incisive commentary on traditional and modern China.From the famous Lujiazui skyline to the bustling crowds, from cosy corners to vibrant streetscapes, these pages capture the Shanghai of the present. Yucheng also delves into Shanghai’s history, paying particular attention to the 1960s-1990s. Later chapters focus on Chinese culture, the contrast between megacities and remote villages, and Yucheng’s favourite animal – the horse. While this book is the perfect companion piece to Blossoms, a novel set in late-20th-century Shanghai, it will also appeal to anyone interested in Chinese culture and art.

Farmer: Photographic Portraits by Pang Xiaowei represents a curated selection from more than 1000 portraits taken by Pang Xiaowei during a mammoth mission to photograph farmers from every province in China. It is a monument to China’s agricultural workforce that affords them the recognition they deserve and celebrates their dedication to their country.The farmers of the Chinese mainland help feed 1.39 billion people. This powerful series of portraits captures the souls of these men and women: their hardiness, their work ethic, their dedication to the land.Portraiture is one of the strongest visual methods of communication. As Pang Xiaowei says, “Portraits have a language; they can tell us so much. Portraits have force, and that force is directed towards our hearts.” Looking into the eyes of the farmers featured in this book, that connection is evident. These portraits forge a link between the observer and the subject, building on the ancient Chinese tradition of ‘spirit resonance in portraiture’ (chuan shen xie zhao). This aspect of Xiaowei’s photography is explored in an accompanying essay by the celebrated Chinese artist, Chen Lvsheng.

Wu Changshuo is one of China’s most celebrated calligraphers and painters. On the 180th anniversary of his birth, the Shanghai Wu Changshuo Art Museum has put together this anthology of selected writings alongside over 130 works from the museum’s collection to accompany a year-long series of exhibitions of this celebrated artist. With each piece written from a different perspective, this fascinating book is an appreciation of the resolute character and accomplishments of this great Chinese calligrapher, painter, seal engraver and poet.Born in 1844 in the late Qing period, Wu Changshuo went from impoverished farm worker to celebrated artist. Leading the Xiling Seal Art Society, Wu would go on to become part of the avant-garde Shanghai School with its unique ‘East meets West’ culture. A great believer and practitioner in studying the ancient masters and their techniques in order to create a solid foundation and expert knowledge of the arts, Wu went on to create his own school of thought which combined this ancient wisdom with his own innovative interpretations.

Master printmaker Liu Chunjie is renowned for his beautiful woodcut art. Born to land reclamation workers in Heilongjiang Province’s 856 Farm, Lui began life in a remote part of China that was deemed to be a place of cultural exile. But it is here that a vibrant chapter in the history of contemporary Chinese printmaking, known as Beidahuang Prints, was born.Living and breathing woodcut art, Liu takes the reader on a personal journey through his life’s work. Written in beautiful poetic prose, Liu describes how his art and the techniques he uses have developed over time, culminating in a stunning body of work that has made him the celebrated artist he is today.Having experimented with coloured ink, installation art and mixed-media painting, it is the spirit of woodcut that remains the foundation of Liu’s art. Using ancient tools and materials, he creates works that embody modern concepts, elevating the essence of woodcut art to a new level.

Featuring over 30 colour photographs of his work and studio, celebrated Chinese artist Wang Jianwei takes us on a journey that goes behind the scenes of our materialistic world bound by rigid, socially acceptable ‘norms’, and introduces us to the beauty and usefulness of the seemingly banal.As the reader accompanies Wang through his contemplation of speculative realism and object-oriented ontology, we learn how he integrates his thinking into his creative practice. His philosophical musings turn our worldview of human–object and object–object relations on their head, as he positions humans and objects on an equal footing. By revealing the intrinsic value of an object and refusing to define it by a single meaning, Wang fills the materials and objects that surround him with infinite potential.A fascinating and thought-provoking book that opens up the realms of the ordinary.

Traditional Crafts of Porcelain Making in Jingdezhen is the first book to systematically and comprehensively introduce the traditional porcelain-making techniques of Jingdezhen.Richly illustrated, these pages contain essential artworks and selected techniques, as curated by Bai Ming, a Chinese ceramic artist of international renown, whose impressive creations are made with Jingdezhen materials, using the authentic Jingdezhen methods. This illuminating volume provides key insights into Bai Ming’s teaching, research and practice, and highlights the fundamentals of the porcelain-making process.With more than 600 images, painstakingly collected and photographed over seven years, this is a beautiful and scholarly showcase for the porcelain style of an ancient town and an invaluable document of representative works.

Master printmaker Liu Chunjie is renowned for his beautiful woodcut art. Born to land reclamation workers in Heilongjiang Province’s 856 Farm, Lui began life in a remote part of China that was deemed to be a place of cultural exile. But it is here that a vibrant chapter in the history of contemporary Chinese printmaking, known as Beidahuang Prints, was born.Living and breathing woodcut art, Liu takes the reader on a personal journey through his life’s work. Written in beautiful poetic prose, Liu describes how his art and the techniques he uses have developed over time, culminating in a stunning body of work that has made him the celebrated artist he is today.Having experimented with coloured ink, installation art and mixed-media painting, it is the spirit of woodcut that remains the foundation of Liu’s art. Using ancient tools and materials, he creates works that embody modern concepts, elevating the essence of woodcut art to a new level.

This book overturns the truism that people carry objects to places. Instead, it asks how objects transport people—physically, imaginatively, and emotionally—to spaces and worlds beyond their immediate reach. It explores artworks as maps of imagined journeys or as worlds inviting inner exploration, grounded in ‘deep travel’ or psychogeography. Centered on Shanxi, China—a cultural crossroads known as West of Mountains—the book examines pivotal works that model these journeys. Highlights include China's "Stonehenge" tracking solar movements, Zoroastrian-themed sarcophagi, tomb murals depicting afterlife journeys, and Buddhist scrolls for water-land rituals. Lavishly illustrated, the volume combines essays on interconnected themes with close analyses of individual pieces, offering a rich narrative on how art shapes profound spatial and imaginative experiences.

Nature in Close Up reveals flora and fauna like you’ve never seen them before. Award-winning nature photographer Yuan Minghui showcases his extraordinary sensibility and original eye for the natural world through his stunning selection of photographs of the wetlands in Wuhan, China. Each image surprises and thrills, rendering every object an artistic creation in its own right. Yuan Minghui’s ability to create beautiful and meaningful images from our surrounding environment is startling; from winding vines that look like treble clefs and floating aquatic plants with diamond droplets, to the unseen glimpses of insects and amphibians playing out their extraordinary lives. Yuan Minghui sets out to give each and every object the beauty and dignity that he sees in ordinary human life, with the aim of emphasising the importance of our planet and how we need to give it the care and attention that it deserves.

China, nearly half a century after economic transformation and development, is changing not just itself, but the world around it. The BRI (Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure and economic development program initiated by the Chinese government) promises investments in countries along the ancient overland trading routes between China and the West, with maritime arcs around Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian peninsula, down the eastern coast of Africa and through the Mediterranean. In this book are selected many distinctive, wonderful shots taken in about 21 countries participating in the BRI, covering 50 regions and a distance of over 267,000 kilometres the author visited from early 2023 to late 2025 as photographer. Through words and pictures, he takes the reader on a tour along the new Belt and Road, showing it as it is actually unfolding in the real world across Asia, Central Asia, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa. This book serves as a good observation and thinking of the reality of China today.