Press Release
Ivory Veil Decorative Artifact by Xiaoge Zang Is Granted the Bronze A' Design Award in Homeware Design
Xiaoge Zang acknowledged for homeware design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 24, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Homeware Design category for Ivory Veil Decorative Artifact by Xiaoge Zang, designed for BeiHang University. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
More About Ivory Veil Decorative Artifact
Ivory Veil is a decorative object made of copper and natural lacquer. The form recalls carved ivory, yet no animal material is used. A copper core is shaped, primed and then coated with about 150 thin layers of natural lacquer. Once dry, the surface is carved with dove and peony motifs and polished until smooth. The object measures 71 centimeters in length, 23 centimeters in width and 38 centimeters in height. Ivory Veil applies a traditional Chinese craft that is at risk of being lost, and offers a sustainable alternative that supports wildlife protection.
About Xiaoge Zang
As a Chinese university professor, I specialize in traditional carved lacquerware and handicraft culture. My pursuit is linking traditional culture with modern society, presenting the precious embodied experiences of time-honed handicrafts in art. I infuse this into teaching, and am heartened by students integrating traditional carved lacquer materials with innovative concepts to realize creative translation in their works. This positive feedback affirms traditional culture’s contemporary value, and the unique significance of Chinese culture in world art.
Award Record
This recognition makes Xiaoge Zang a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Decorative Items and Homeware Design Award
The A' Homeware Design Award is an international homeware design competition recognizing good homeware designs by leading brands and designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to homeware designers, product designers, industrial design studios and ceramic artists from all countries. Typical entries include tableware, lighting fixtures, cookware, decorative accessories, bathroom accessories and furniture. The awarded homeware designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/homeware
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/182160
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/182160
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!182160
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/380629
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Ivory Veil Decorative Artifact
- Function
- Decorative Artifact
- Category
- Homeware Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Dark Gray, Gray, Gainsboro, Maroon and Dim Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- BeiHang University
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Xiaoge Zang
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #182160
Credits
- Team
- Huanxi Wang, Yutong Wang and Ruoxuan Gao
- Image Credits
- Creator Xiaoge Zang, White Carved Lacquer Artwork, 2024.; CreatorXiaoge Zang , White Carved Lacquer Artwork, 2024.; CreatorYutong Wang , White Carved Lacquer Artwork, 2024.; Creator Huanxi Wang, White Carved Lacquer Artwork, 2024.; CreatorYutong Wang, White Carved Lacquer Artwork, 2024. Video Credits: Video Creator Xiaoge Zang ,White Carved Lacquer Artwork, 2024.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This is a display item made of natural lacquer crafted using ancient Chinese techniques and shaped like ivory. It is not made of real ivory, but rather a combination of copper and lacquer materials that recreate the appearance of ivory. The craftsmanship involved is complex, and even in China, it faces the risk of being lost. Its texture is close to real ivory, and the patterns also adopt traditional Chinese artistic forms.
- Inspiration
- To protect wildlife, we reject the use of real ivory. Yet ivory has long been admired for its artistic beauty, which inspired this project to recreate that elegance through a sustainable alternative. Chinese carved lacquer, made from natural lacquer resin, can be shaped freely and developed with a texture and visual softness close to ivory. This led to a carved lacquer object that echoes the form and refinement of ivory without using animal material.
- Research
- This is applied material and craft research. The objective was to recreate the beauty of ivory without using animal material. The method combined visual study, material comparison and making tests. Research tools included literature review, sketching, carving and surface-finishing trials. Prototype experiments examined form, texture and visual effect. The result showed carved lacquer could achieve an ivory-like elegance ethically. The project shows how traditional craft can support wildlife protection and inspire sustainable design.
- Challenge
- Lacquer trees are found deep in the mountains, and only a few drops of sap can be collected from each tree. Most people are allergic to lacquer, making the collection process extremely challenging. Very few people know how to make lacquer, and there are almost no reference books available. The lacquer will not cause allergy until it is completely dry. However, lacquer dries very slowly, requiring more than a year from the time of sap collection to the completion of the artwork.
- Realization and Technology
- First, the lacquer collected from the tree is prepared. Then, the copper material is shaped into an ivory-like form, and a layer of primer is applied to the prepared copper surface. After the primer dries, multiple layers of natural lacquer are applied, ensuring each layer is smooth and accumulating to a thickness of about 150 layers. Once the lacquer layers are dry, tools are used to carve on the lacquer surface. Finally, the surface of the workpiece is polished to ensure smoothness.
- Operation and Interaction
- The object is meant to be viewed closely and appreciated from different angles. As the viewer lifts or turns it gently, the carved dove and peony motifs, layered lacquer surface, and ivory-like texture become more visible. The interaction is quiet and reflective rather than mechanical. It performs better by combining symbolic imagery, rich detail, and a smooth tactile quality, creating a deeper visual and emotional experience.
- Project Duration and Location
- Launched in Beijing in February 2023, and completed in May 2024.
- Specifications
- Its length is 71 centimeters, width is 23 centimeters, and height is 38 centimeters.
- Keywords
- Traditional Chinese Culture, Carved Lacquerware, Sculpture, Decorative Object, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Artwork, Ivory Form, Wildlife Protection
