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ART X DESIGN
Design and Art: two things that are independent of one another and yet also
inextricably linked. There is an old fashioned view that, for some unknown reason,
design is deemed inferior to art; and yet, the fact is that one is not actually able
to thrive sufficiently without the other. The contemporary art world is teaming
with artists that are continually creating works of huge artistic and aesthetic value,
that actually seem like they could go in a home, and not just a gallery. Due to
the implicit relationship between art and design, works of great art are beginning
to seem applicable to everyday living and not only fit in, but also enhance the
aesthetic and design of the room in which the work is placed.
One such artist is Zhuang Hong Yi. Born in 1962 in Sichuan Province, China,
Zhuang Hong Yi lives and works between The Netherlands & Beijing. A product
of the times, Yi uses traditional Chinese materials to create pieces influenced by
his life in 21st century Netherlands, where he has been living for 19 years. There is
clear art historical referencing within his works to Western impressionism, hence
displaying how heavily Yi is influenced by both his cultural heritage and his life
in Europe. Each piece is completed, by hand, with Yi manipulating thousands of
rice paper flowers, combining them with layers of acrylic and oil painting, creating
large-scale fields of petals on canvas. His works bridge the gap between painting
and sculpture, instead creating what seems like a three-dimensional painting.
The design, or concept, of Yi’s works again has roots in art history, as they
are dependent on the viewer’s gaze. Whereas before, works using one point
perspective would have relied on the central viewpoint, Yi encourages the viewer
to move around the work and see it from numerous perspectives, experiencing the
continually shifting colours from cool to warm or light to dark. Yi’s pieces hence
fit perfectly in the everyday household – filled with movement and people able to
fully experience the transitioning shades and beauty created through the flowers.