Interviews with Zhiyan Huang

The Dunhuang series mainly presents the image of the most famous flying apsaras in Cave 320 of Mogao Grottoes, which is known as the most beautiful “Black Flying Apsaras."

A' Design's Gold Award is the first major international competition award for the Liang Xing brand. This is a great start for our brand and is far-reaching for brand promotion.

The design conceptualization took one month, and it took nearly six months from conceptualization to product implementation.

In China's cultural product market, there are not many works that can capture both visual culture and design. We want to make successful products that transform cultural heritage.

The Dunhuang series is produced by ourselves.

We were curious about 3D printed jewelry, and we wondered how well this new technology would integrate with traditional craftsmanship.

Not at the moment, our products are completely original.

Our target customers are people who have a need for design products as well as purchasing power.

Our designs are inspired by China's cultural heritage and ancient art objects.

Our naming strategy is straightforward, and in order to promote Chinese culture through the design of our products, we will use simple and straightforward naming methods.

We used 3D modeling and 3D printing technology.

The craftsmanship of our products has a tendency to adopt the handmade techniques of Beijing. The Dunhuang series includes a technique called filigree inlay.

The styling of the Dunhuang series was done by me and the 3D modeling of the product was done by my partner.

Technology is important in the Dunhuang collection, as the traditional production process does not allow for delicate and complex three-dimensional structures. In particular, the curves of the ribbons that restore the image of the flying apsaras can only be accomplished through 3D printing technology at this time.

The design is inspired by academic research, not data.

The combination of 3D printed modeling and traditional craftsmanship in design is a major difficulty. This is because most of the handmade techniques cannot make complex shapes in a very fast time.

We want to make the beautiful Chinese culture and handicrafts active on the world stage. The brand's original intention from the very beginning was to deliver Chinese art to the sea.

After receiving the gold A'Design award, I realized that the international design field is paying attention to Chinese culture and art. It was also the first major award I received in my career.

No more. Expect me to win another A'Design award in the future.

I became a designer, at first I just wanted to solve my life needs, such as making some beautiful decorations for myself. Over time, I realized that I have a great passion in the field of design and art, so I considered developing it into a career.

I chose to become a designer myself. And I also have a Master's degree in Art History at the same time, which has helped me a lot in my design identity.

I have a lot of design and artistic experimentation. For example, as a visual artist, I've made experimental graphic designs, book covers designs, and experimental films. After returning to Beijing, I came into contact with intangible cultural heritage, therefore, I'm considering the use of modeling to make jewelry in combination with intangible cultural heritage techniques.

I think the prerequisite for good design is to know yourself clearly. Tap into what you are good at, explore from a variety of areas, and practice well. Don't be afraid to take a long time to explore if you can. Every attempt becomes a seed for success.

The difference lies in the ability to push the limits of the self, and push the boundaries of various industry sectors. Outstanding designers always dare to try.

Good design can also pose new questions to the design community.

Design is a way of life that can make our lives better. Good design can subtly influence the way people see things.

I want to design products for Chinese craftsmen, so that on the one hand, we can protect and record the ancient and excellent skills, and on the other hand, we can combine them with design to produce good design works.

I want to make documentaries on design and designers.

I like to find new inspiration from research papers in various fields.

A lot of it, generally from artists, and Chinese cultural heritage.

Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh. Their knowledge of images, and the techniques they use to process them are very clever and recognizable. I love designers who combine photography and graphic design well.

I don't have my most satisfying design yet, but winning design Dunhuang collection met my expectations.

Forget about being a designer and do something that interests me. These experiences will allow me to make great work.

Probably an antique dealer, or an art historian. It's also possible to have an antique or clothing store at the same time.

Design is the visual language for thinking about life.

My family, and the faculties I met while studying at Yale.

Thinking about things from a different perspective, as well as forgetting that I'm a designer.

I had a bottleneck in graduate school. Mainly trying to find a design style that works for me.

Before presenting your work, try to explain in one sentence length what your design is and what problem you need to solve. On top of that, tell a compelling story.

Continue to do the fashion jewelry line under the Liang Xing brand. I am looking for good craftsmanship as well as visiting more artisans.

To be an ambassador of intercultural communication in culture and art.

Chinese designers want the world to see more designs that represent China. Maybe our new generation of designers can do that.

I think it's a great proposition. Designers taking their work seriously might be a good place to start.

I am currently starting a new jewelry line with Beijing Enamel Factory.

The progress of my brand so far is all to my satisfaction. Because I can take full ownership of these creations, I can also strike a good balance between art and business.

I'd like to see more designers develop their own clear personal portraits like artists do. Each designer has a clearly defined, strong style.

Designers build their own brands and have a stronger field of crossover attempts.

One month to six months, depending on who I work with.

Read articles written by other scholars and look at other people's research for inspiration. Sometimes watch interviews with famous people in different fields, or documentaries.

Being a lover of life is the foundation of being a good designer.

I think it's mutual. But good designers can't blindly follow trends.

Technology is the language and tools for expressing design thinking.

Everything from Adobe, and modeling software. And a high-resolution camera.

Like technology, it is a language and tool for expressing design thinking.

I want my audience to be able to talk about what my design reminds them of from their area of expertise. It could also be what valuable life experiences come to mind through my designs.

Curious what people not in the design field would think of good design work. And whether these works can actually impact people's lives.

Good design often emerges and is accomplished in conversation. My partners come from practitioners in different design fields.

Practitioners in the arts. Includes art historians, artists, art critics, curators, photographers, etc.

Books on art history, and ancient Chinese philosophy.

Record more things with my camera when I travel in general.

Philosophers written in history books. And women who weren't written in history but changed the development of history.

It's not hard to be famous, it's hard to keep making good work after I'm famous. And whether I can challenge myself and deny what's already established when I'm particularly famous.

Celestial blue, spring and fall, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Serge Lutens.

I'm actually a graphic designer and visual artist. I do fashion jewelry brand just because I want to put the unique Chinese, some beautiful techniques in my design work. Graphic designers spend most of their time using print as their medium, so I wanted to switch it up and make some nice looking jewelry to wear.

I want my ideas to be seen by more people. And to find partners at work who appreciate each other.

When I was a kid I thought I was going to be a great artist, specifically a painter. So becoming a designer is pretty much the same dream I had as a kid.

Maybe in a thousand years there will be a globally unified language that will allow all people to communicate without barriers. Visual expressions can transcend the boundaries of time and space. Perhaps people 1000 years from now can communicate with people of any age without barriers.

I hope that those who like my work will follow the Liang Xing brand, and I will continue to release more pieces in the series and make them available globally.

The jewelry’s patterns draw inspiration from the murals, their forms rooted in clouds and the abstract notion of Qi. By intertwining the lines of clouds and Qi, we created the “Cloud Qi” patterns—a design that bridges ancient and modern aesthetic sensibilities. Traditional Chinese filigree simply cannot achieve such intricate, interlaced detailing on the minute scale of jewelry; and even if perfectly rendered, that level of complexity would undermine the ordered beauty these pieces are meant to convey. That is why, while testing prototypes of the Cloud Qi pattern, we repeatedly pushed the limits of 3D printing precision. Today, this collection stands as the most elaborate example of 3D-printed filigree, and the finest expression of the fusion between traditional craftsmanship and modern technology.

I did, in fact, consider wrapping the jewelry’s surface in handcrafted filigree. However, the design incorporates many curved elements, making it difficult for traditional filigree techniques to achieve the desired effect. Beyond technical constraints, I also had to weigh production costs and labor hours. Given the brand’s positioning as affordable luxury jewelry, using 3D printing to replicate filigree patterns is simply the more appropriate path. I describe the brand’s aesthetic as “natural order,” with a sense of order as its core principle. What we strive to convey is a restrained, orderly beauty—and for that, digital technology proves to be the optimal solution.

The image of the black Apsaras in Mogao Cave 320 originates from the north wall mural depicting the transformation tableau of the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra (the Sutra on the Visualization of the Buddha of Infinite Life). This mural unfolds a Buddhist narrative of past-life karma and present-life redemption. Translating such a profound and complex story into jewelry is, admittedly, a formidable challenge—yet what I hope to convey through the design is a deep sense of tranquility. Though this collection takes on entirely streamlined forms, its essence remains serene and profound.

I drew primarily on the celestial beings depicted in the transformation tableau of the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra on the north wall, taking the lines of the original mural as my inspiration. To deepen my understanding of line and form, I studied numerous scholarly articles to learn the stories behind these murals. That grounding allowed me to create jewelry pieces that possess both a sculptural quality and a sense of orderly beauty.

The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang are world-renowned, yet the art of Dunhuang did not spring from an isolated native tradition. Rather, it absorbed diverse foreign influences and, by the Tang Dynasty, blossomed into a form unmistakably Chinese. For the Chinese, Dunhuang’s artistic style carries an air of mystery and exoticism, and it is precisely this cultural foundation, I believe, that makes it so well-suited to cross-cultural artistic exchange. This collection embodies the inner vitality and profound inclusiveness of Chinese culture, while reflecting the depth of China’s historical heritage.

In fact, compared to jewelry of a similar size, the Dunhuang collection is notably lightweight. Designed to be worn during stage performances, fashion shows, and other public appearances, the pieces are 3D-printed as single, seamless units—making them sturdy yet light. We can assure our customers that no parts will ever come loose while wearing, and they are perfectly suited for any occasion.

The balance lies in this: while the collection draws its inspiration from the Tang Dynasty, its creation fully embraces today's most advanced technologies. Fusing 3D printing with filigree patterns naturally imbues these historical prototypes with a contemporary design sensibility. I also believe that, from a modern aesthetic standpoint, Chinese art of a thousand years ago remains a powerful source of inspiration for designers. The mastery of line in Tang Dynasty painting, for instance, was truly exceptional, and many Chinese designers today continue to find fresh creative stimulus in the Dunhuang murals.

The materials I chose—gold, silver, and pearls—are all classic staples in jewelry across the world. Even in traditional Chinese filigree work, pieces were crafted entirely in gold. Metal tends to read as cold and austere, and within the sculptural forms of the Dunhuang collection, it naturally evokes a certain rugged beauty. That is why I introduced pearls as the visual focal point: they soften the metal's severity with a quiet, lustrous warmth. Moreover, in China's history, pearls were once imported treasures reserved exclusively for the imperial court—highly prized, and potent symbols of imperial authority. Placing them at the center of the design summons a sense of ancient grandeur and nobility.

We have embraced the concept of “contemporary Chinese cultural heritage jewelry” to set ourselves apart from similar approaches in the jewelry industry. With this term, we seek to convey that jewelry is a wearable form of civilization. Like Italy, China is an ancient civilization with an equally rich cultural legacy. Through the simple, everyday act of wearing jewelry, we hope to give presence to China’s millennia-old history and civilization. This is not merely an innovation in aesthetics and craftsmanship—it is a successful act of cultural translation.