Kaizzy Chen is a designer from China, winner 12 premiums - lives and works in the United States. It develops new original surfaces and materials using ultra-modern technology. In her portfolio - development concept and printing design for Calico Wallpaper and Anthropologie, visual merchandising for under Armour, packaging design for Coca Cola and much more.
What technique do you work in?
In our work, I use the methods of visualization of surfaces, combining visual design, research materials and engineering technologies to create experimental projects. Deeply understanding the technology of digital printing, I can apply drawings to almost any material that you can imagine. However, my work is much wider using printing methods on forms and surfaces. It is also interesting for me to create qualitatively new and unique surfaces from a material point of view.
When did you decide that you will be engaged in design?
From my very early age, I was interested in art. In childhood, always drawn. I did well, but not the best, and I did not even think that I have the technical abilities necessary in order to become a designer. The choice of this profession crystallized in the first year of the university. My view on the possibilities of design education has changed during the summer course, when classes led two teachers who studied abroad. It was the first time I felt the difference in teaching between China and the United States. This course has expanded my understanding of the design and made me realize that being a designer is much wider than being a designer. I understood that it is capable of creative thinking. It was then that I gained confidence that I can make a career in design.
Who did you study, and how did this affect your work?
I studied textile design and engineering at the University of Donghua in China (undergraduate), but the last year graduated from in the United States, at the University of Philadelphia. As a magistracy program, I chose a surface imaging (Surface Imaging). It was a new faculty, and I studied in the first stream. All we did was innovative. I experimented with all kinds of digital printing technologies and stood up with materials science. It gave me the opportunity to rethink and explore the surfaces of those methods that it was previously impossible to even imagine.
Where do you work on your projects?
During the last year I worked from the house because of Covida. I have a home studio with an equipped computer workstation and a space designed for experiments with materials.
What kind of project do you like most?
My graduation work still remains one of my most favorite projects. I like her broader concept and interdisciplination. In this project, I made a designer who creates and produces unique products for architects and interior designers, integrating digital media, materials and technologies. At the same time, I am a kind of "bridge" between designer / architectural studios, materials on the production of materials, printing firms and other technological companies. I offer creative solutions, effectively using new materials or technology of my customers.
What is your goal in creativity?
My creative goal is to create a design consulting studio. I am interested in a transdisciplinary approach to design, involving cooperation with architects, scientists and engineers for the production of products combining experimental technologies.
What are your hobbies, and how does it affect your artistic practice?
I love watching the video about the transformation of interiors and repair at home. I draw inspiration, watching the transformation of ordinary objects in high-class designer products. I appreciate projects that are considering the specific needs and wishes of customers as priorities and make significant changes to their surrounding environment. I also like to watch funny videos about science and technique on channels such as @physicsfun and @theworldofengineering. The creative potential of science and technology inspires and motivates me in my designer practice.
What books are you lying on your bedside table now?
Currently, I read the book of Kite Suklie "The Art of Risk". This is a book about the psychology of risk and why people make a risky choice. I am interested in how and when to use a weighted risk in your own interests.
Tell about the film that you looked recently and you can recommend.
I recently watched the movie "Metal Sound". This is about the drummer from the punk metal group, which loses his hearing and is forced to navigate in his new reality. I was impressed with the story and his feed. Cinematography is beautiful, and the story is also memorable. There are several inspirational dialogs that I remember from the film. In general, the film very thinly presented some problems and systems for the survival of people suffering from deafness. I would definitely recommend it to view. Another documentary, which I would recommend, is a "push" Darren Brown. He seriously made me think about the powerful influence of social pressure on the behavior of people.
Where do you know what is happening in the world?
I try to limit the consumption of social networks, because many things are repeated in them. I found that the degree of isolation is very useful for my artistic practice. However, I follow the trends in design, albeit and dosed and on the example of more limited objects. It seems to me that it is even good because it allows you to expand the experimental design and contributes to more personalized relations between the designer and customers.
Tell me something that you learned recently and what struck you.
I recently graduated from a six-month intensive course of psychology, and he expanded my understanding of many aspects of psychology. It was very important to realize the importance of child psychology. This course helped me better understand the stigmatization of mental disorders and how, learning more about the life of people with mental disorders, we can be more empathic.