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What are your expectations
for your career now?
My primary target is to teach
this new subject at the college.
Although interactive media design is
growing fast in China, the gap
between Chinese and international
standards is still wide. I wish for my
students to get more internships, like
those in the West. Meanwhile Chinese
enterprises would benefit from
exploring more design patterns for
their own brands.
Who are your favourite artists
and designers?
Georges Braque, Andy Warhol,
David Hockney and Alan Chan.
“
I am influenced by both Eastern andWestern culture. There
are boundless possibilities when you dip yourself into an
entirely new environment. But for me, China is the place to roll
now.” So speaks 28-year-old Liu Xiaochu, who received her
Master’s degree for Interactive Media Design at Université du
Sud Toulon-Var, and gained work experience at OgilvyOne,
HAYA Retail and Eurocopter in France. Last year, she came back
to her hometown to be a lecturer at Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts.
How was your four-year stint
in France?
I started studying in France in
2008,
along with another 10
students from Tianjin Academy of
Fine Arts, for an intercollegiate exchange.
One day I found I was the only student
in the Interactive Media Design major.
But I am open-minded and outgoing;
soon I was like a fish swimming in
water in this entirely new circle. My
classmates teased me, saying: “So,
there are also many different
characters that are made in China!”
How do you feel about that
phrase?
It comes with a bit of negative
emotion at first, as it reminds
me of trade friction between China
and other countries. But China has
slowly and steadily built up a positive
image, and that’s a good message.
What’s your most satisfying
work so far?
Time always makes me realise
the insufficiency of my work.
Last year when I was studying for my
Master’s degree, I did four months’
work with Eurocopter, the largest
helicopter company in Europe… This I
count as my most successful example
so far.
Designer
and lecturer
What are some Chinese
brands you adore?
I love the Chinese clothing
brand JNBY. As for food, I must
recommend Shibajie Mahua, a famous
snack frommy hometown.
Do you think the concept of
“
made in China” has now
been changed for the better?
Definitely! More talented
designers and artists will
accomplish the leap from simply “made
in China” to “created in China” and
“
designed in China”. The Chinese-born
artist Li Chevalier, who created the ink
painting/drawing style with her “Euro-
Asian” art language, is an inspiration.
City:
Tianjin
Artist:
Liu Xiaochu
MOMI CAFÉ BOOKSTORE
Now operating 15 stores in major Chinese cities, including Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai and
Suzhou, Momi sells non-mainstream books and magazines, and independently designed and hand-drawn postcards. So
far, it has produced more than 1,000 postcards.
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F-48 Dayuecheng, Nanmenwai Dajie, Tianjin; pprose.taobao.com
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