Syndicated from Design China
EightSix met up with young graduate furniture designer Yingshuang Guo from Shenzhen to discuss her feelings about being one of the few designers to have gone through the Chinese education system without studying overseas, and to see if this trend is set to continue.
Hello Yingshuang Guo! Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I was born in Shantou and raised in Shenzhen. I am different from others in China, as I grew up with siblings. As I was the middle child in my family, I had a lot of time to think about what I was interested in and what I really wanted to do.
Where are you working right now?
I am working at cimalighting, which is the design department of Daxin Lighting Decoration located in Huizhou, Guangdong. Working here, I get the opportunity to cooperate with foreign designers, and I think I learn a lot from them.
People typically say that Chinese education does not allow you to be creative. Is this true? How are you creative?
The phenomenon you mention actually exists. Students usually suffer the pressure of standardised texts. Those who spend their time studying art or music are always seen as poor students who quit classes and seek art as a shortcut to university. Actually, this is not true. My academic performance is not bad, and I am an art student. I was not born creative – the first reason I stay creative is that I am really passionate about what I do.
The second reason is adventure – being curious. Fortunately, I was quite lucky to finish my compulsory education in Shenzhen, which is a ‘mixed-culture’ city, influenced by both Hong Kong and the Mainland, but the dominant culture is Cantonese. This emphasises the dragon spirit – being vigorous, encouraging people to be adventurous, and being persistent. My parents have also had a strong effect on the development of my personality. They have always headed small businesses throughout their lives and never gave up – they were never afraid. So, I maintained a similar mindset: to keep trying hard, again and again. Continue reading.
