From Chinese aesthetics to art and design : bringing Chinese aesthetics in Chinese ink paintings into product design

Abstract

This case study presents an exploration of the ways for making Chinese aesthetics more accessible to the masses through creating products that are both functional objects and artworks. This process can enhance the visibility and popular appreciation of Chinese aesthetics through providing artistically designed everyday objects. In particular, this case study explores the use of Yin–Yang aesthetics in Chinese ink painting as a central basis for design philosophy, and investigates the means of incorporating these aesthetics into final products. The final designs created incorporate the concept of Yin–Yang, and more specifically the techniques of expressing both the Virtual–Real and the Invisible–Visible. By interacting with such artistic products daily, consumers inevitably encounter these age-old Chinese aesthetic principles, and they develop an appreciation for such principles in a modern context. This case study demonstrates how traditional aesthetic principles can be fused with modern mediums to kick-start a new creative process in design. By embracing both the traditional and the modern, this approach can give modern products an extra layer of depth, and it can connect the users and their environment through daily interactions that give people a deeper appreciation for Chinese culture and history.