With numerous visual designs for prestigious events, organizations and corporations to his credit, renowned Chinese designer Han Jiaying is holding a solo exhibition at the He Xiangning Art Museum, showcasing his designs, experiments and research spanning 30 years.

The exhibition, titled “Han Jiaying’s Design A-Z,” goes beyond a mere display of the Shenzhen designer’s works; instead it focuses on Han’s exploration of the essence of design. It spotlights his longtime experimentation with design’s basic elements, such as geometric shapes, Chinese characters, numbers, letters, colors, human portraits and materials. A large number of manuscripts reflecting the creative processes behind his designs are also featured at the exhibition.

Visitors admire Han Jiaying’s designs and artworks at the “Han Jiaying’s Design A-Z” exhibition at He Xiangning Art Museum. Photos by Lin Songtao

Upon entering the exhibition halls, visitors are greeted with countless combinations of rectangles, circles and squares printed on the large windows. These reflect Han’s extensive experimentation with infinite combinations and variations of graphical elements. The graphs may seem meaningless but have formed a rich and diverse visual system in our daily lives.

“Han conducts the experiments on design’s basic elements as part of a designer’s training, rather than solely catering to specific customer demands,” said Cui Cancan, curator of the exhibition.

“In my previous solo exhibition at the OCT Art and Design Gallery in Shenzhen in 2012, I had expressed my thoughts on the essence of design through some of my creations. I aimed to convey the most fundamental information and elements of design, questioning how we could reflect our roots, rather than simply advocating for nationalism or Westernization, as I believe either path is biased,” Han told Shenzhen Daily.

The exhibition follows the structure of a “dictionary” to explore the trajectory of Han’s creations, with exhibits categorized into “characters,” “words,” and “rhetoric.” Many of Han’s experiments and design practices, rendered in paintings, calligraphy and installations, possess a contemporary art appeal.

Through the study of Chinese characters, symbols on Chinese Neolithic Dawenkou pottery relics, and ancient Chinese poetry, Han seeks to uncover the intricate connections between modern design and traditional culture.

During his school days, Han began using Chinese characters to express his creative style. His early posters systematically presented his evolving perspectives on Chinese characters, from strokes to structures, characters to passages, and surfaces to spaces. This exploration forms the foundation for his unique contemporary expression of Chinese characters.

“Calligraphy is not only a form of art but also design. Han extracts forms from cursive script, running script, seal script and radicals, and explores the ever-changing nature of Chinese characters, thus forming his cultural self-awareness as a Chinese designer,” Cui elaborated.

In an exhibition room filled with Han’s visual designs for events, organizations and corporations over the past 30 years, one can not only see a sea of familiar organizations and events, such as Eye Shenzhen, Shenzhen Reading Month, Vanke and Konka, but also witness the transformation of advertising, marketing, society and aesthetics in the past three decades in China, said Cui. “Graphic design is also a part of history and we can get a glimpse into the world through designs,” said Cui.

Sticks with Chinese characters created by Han Jiaying are on display.

Visitors may be awed by a wall of Han’s hand-drawn manuscripts, whether they were drawn on a notebook page or even on tissue paper. In an era dominated by computer-generated or AI-powered design, Han still draws on paper in many of his designs. By browsing through these manuscripts and witnessing the birth of familiar logos, one can perceive the subtle nuances and vividness that reflect moments of inspiration.

In the days of constant trends and emerging technologies, Han believes in continuous practices, thinking and hands-on work to create unique designs. “Every day, we passively receive information from the world, which makes independent thinking all the more crucial. How can we possess something unique to China or Shenzhen, something that sets us apart from others? This is a significant challenge. As a designer, an artist, or a creative professional, your role is to create something new that others do not possess, and to lead social progress. This is fundamental,” said Han.

Han is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) and a visiting professor at the City Design School of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He has won prestigious design awards and his works are collected by international art institutions.

Dates: Through Dec. 17

Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays

Venue: He Xiangning Art Museum, Nanshan District (何香凝美术馆)

Metro: Line 1 to OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit C