Chongqing - In the Shancheng Alley, much-loved by locals and tourists alike, Be Here Space is housed in a school building from 6 decades ago and serves as a public art center. Using frames as a decorative element won this place a prominent Red Dot Award and embodies the concept of its designer, Mao Mao.
Be Here Space, located in Chongqing Shancheng Alley, now serves as a public art center. (Photo/Mao Mao)
“Frames are frequently seen when we use a camera, so I used it to invite people to take pictures, create, and be here. Also, the familiar element can easily connect people with the art space,” said Mao. He believes that art should involve ordinary people more, and as a designer, the idea of design for everyday people is his original aspiration.
Born into a family of intellectuals, Mao had early exposure to the arts. “I started learning painting and calligraphy at primary school. It was all about traditional fine art until middle school, when I saw the mind-blowing artworks of Cai Guoqiang,” Mao recalled. That was the first time he had thought about working in the artistic field. Cai is a contemporary Chinese artist renowned for his dramatic installations and use of gunpowder as a medium.
Mao Mao is a designer and visual artist. He has won over 200 awards worldwide. (Photo/Mao Mao)
The conceptualization of design followed Mao’s passion for art. “As a kid, I liked collecting things like CD sleeves and candy wrappers. They looked beautiful and made me happy. I didn’t realize the good designs of the items brought me joy until I knew the concept of design in high school,” Mao said. Childhood experience initially shaped his idea of design: to present beauty and pleasure to people.
In 2022, his work, Xilankapu, won a New York Type Directors Club award, the longest-running and prestigious award in the global typography and type design sphere.
Xilankapu is a time-honored hand-woven brocade in China with abstract images of natural and geometric patterns. Mao’s work reinterprets its classic colors and pattern structure and presents a modern visual effect. The graphic is on carpets, bags, and other daily items.
“Heritage and innovation of traditional culture should retain its very essence and substantial features. And it is also important to refine it to really connect with people, to create something that fits in daily life and a modern aesthetic,” Mao said.
Xilankapu graphic.(Photo/Mao Mao)
Raised in the neighboring Hunan Province and living in some megacities, Mao finally settled in Chongqing nine years ago as he found the unique charm of Chongqing, especially its people.
“Ordinary people are a substantial source of inspiration, and I always walk in a city, talking to strangers. People I met in Chongqing are patient, enthusiastic, and open to conversations. Sometimes, we could talk through a whole afternoon, and they told me about their thoughts, lives, and even relationships. This is a treasure, and I appreciate it a lot,” Mao said.
After seven years of living in Chongqing, Mao opened his design studio to provide branding and visual services. The decision can be traced back to the influence of Sato Kashiwa, a Japanese designer who reshaped big-name companies such as Uniqlo and 7-Eleven with his design and branding strategies.
Mao’s Mo Design studio in Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Mao Mao)
Sato Kashiwa’s story inspired Mao with the power of design. Good visual products and branding strategies are significant for a company to establish connections with its customers and win the market; they can make a difference. Mao said, “We have great products made in Chongqing, and I hope to help local companies thrive in a bigger market. After all, that is where the value of design lies: to serve the public and enable a better life. “
（The original author is Guo Shuyu from Liangjiang New Area Media Center)