Chinese Design. Everyday.
February 8 – April 13, 2008

The Chinese New Year will ring in with the opening of a new exhibit at the Design Exchange. Contemporary Chinese culture is a fascinating mix of diverse influences, combining the millennia-old Chinese cultural heritage with the most current Western and international trends. This show defines “Chinese Design” in terms of Style, Locale and Ethnicity. It provides a foundation for understanding contemporary Chinese culture and everyday life through design artifacts with a focus on graphic design. On display are a selection of design work from the Chinese-speaking region: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, and from designers of Chinese ancestry residing in North America.

The contents of Chinese Design. Everyday. will be organized into 10 categories to facilitate visitors’ understanding of modern Chinese design and culture in the context of everyday life. For balance, this show includes both award-winning design work from professional designers and ordinary products from Chinese-speaking societies, and from designers of Chinese ancestry residing in North America. 

Opening Night February 8, 2008 at 6pm Hong Kong: Gateway to China Sponsored by Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office Gallery Hours Weekdays: 9am–5pm | Weekends: 12pm–5pm Gallery Location 234 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1B2 Paid Admission Adult $5.00 Student/Senior $4.00 DX Member Free

Curated By Wendy Siuyi Wong, PhD Associate Professor Department of Design Faculty of Fine Arts York University Curatorial Talk February 21, 2008 at 12pm Title: Elements of Chinese Design By: Dr Wendy Siuyi Wong

Professor Wendy Siuyi Wong, the curator of the Show, is Chair of the Department of Design and the Associate Director of the York Centre for Asian Research, York University. With this informative exhibition on contemporary Chinese design, Dr. Wong brings her previous exhibition, Chinese Graphic Design Towards the International Sphere, held at the Cooper Union School of Arts in New York city in 2001, and her extensive research on Chinese graphic design history, undertaken with the support of the SSHRC Standard Research Grant, together for the enjoyment of the Toronto community.