Press Release Immediate Release DFA Awards 2016 A Platform and Framework for a Better Asia (HONG KONG, 5 December 2016) Organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), with Create Hong Kong of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government as the major sponsor, the DFA Awards presentation ceremonies were completed in applause last week. The winning projects and the winners’ portfolios were also showcased at annual DFA Awards Exhibition at HKDC Pavilion during the InnoDesignTech Expo. On 30 November, over 400 participants attended the presentation ceremony of the DFA Design for Asia Awards and the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award. On 2 December the Business of Design Week (BODW) Gala Dinner appealed to design gurus, business leaders and government officials around the world to congratulate the winners of DFA Lifetime Achievement Award, DFA Design Leadership Award and DFA World's Outstanding Chinese Designer. "DFA Awards is a Hong Kong Design Centre initiative to recognise and celebrate outstanding design leaders, remarkable design projects, and talented young designers in Asia. The intention of the Awards is to create a platform and framework for designers to shape, build and develop Asia to become a better place to live, work and play." said Professor Eric C. Yim, JP, Chairman of Board of Directors, Hong Kong Design Centre. Honours to Design Leaders The DFA Lifetime Achievement Award (DFA LAA) 2016 went to Mr. AHN Sang-soo, a Korean typographer and graphic designer. He has worked in the creative industry for more than 40 years with a rich oeuvre of cross disciplinary production and innovation. In 1985, he expressed his interest in Korean typeface at his early career and founded Ahn Graphics and then created his first self-titled typeface configuration “Ahn Sang-soo”. Also passionate in education, he served as a Professor at the College of Fine Arts & Design at his alma mater Hongik University for 20 years. He is currently Director of Paju Typography Institute in Korea (PaTI), Guest Professor in Royal College of Arts, London and Invited Professor in Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing. He has been serving as a Chairman of the Board of Seoul Design Foundation since 2012. The DFA Design Leadership Award (DFA DLA) 2016 was conferred onto Mr. Antony LO Hsiang-an, the CEO of Giant Global Group. Lo has been a key leader at Giant and under Lo’s leadership, it launched its own brand in 1981. Giant is a global bicycle brand, consists of 9 manufacturing factories around the world, with more than 10,000 retail partners. The name of “Giant” now is a major cycling brand in the world, provides high quality innovative cycling products through the specialty retailing network, to inspire adventure and share the joy of the ride. Giant also collaborated with the Taipei Municipal Department of Transportation to develop the YouBike public bicycle sharing service for Taipei city. Mr. William CHANG Suk-ping, Art Director and Costume Designer, was named the DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer (DFA WOCD) 2016. Having been trained at a film school in Vancouver, Chang began working in the late 1970s during Hong Kong’s popular 1 culture boom. In the 1981, Chang was appointed as the art director of the thriller “Love Massacre”. Later, he collaborated unfailingly with Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai. Besides films, William Chang has also engaged in other side design projects that have made a difference in their respective fields. From designing the interior of a private residence to airline uniforms, and from editing feature films to television advertisements, he has always been determined to apply his skills in a brand new context to defamiliarise himself and push the envelope of design. Recognition of Design Excellence The DFA Design for Asia Awards’ entry number and quality illustrate the growth of the Asian design power. Around 900 entries from over 20 countries, by 22 categories under 4 design disciplines including apparel & accessory design, communication design, environmental design, and product & industrial design, were received in 2016. Compared with the numbers in 2013, entries from Taiwan and South Korea have been remarkably increased around 17% and 48% respectively, while the number of award winners from Mainland China increased significantly from 11 to 39 in three years' time. This year, 40 outstanding design projects and 17 Gold Award winning designs of Category Award from open submissions were nominated, amid 20 projects having been recognised as Grand Award, Grand Award for Culture, Grand Award for Sustainability, Grand Award for Technology or Grand Award Finalist. Selected Grand Award winners were also invited to share their ideas at the Business of Design Week. Window of Global Perspective As the design hub in Asia, Hong Kong is always a window to the international stage. This year, 16 design practitioners or graduates from over 200 applications, were awarded the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award (DFA HKYDTA). With the financial sponsorship by Create Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Design Institute and School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 13 of them will be granted up to HK$5,000,000 in total for work attachment or study in overseas for 6 to 12 months. The DFA HKYDTA 2016 comprises seven CreateSmart Young Design Talent Award, four CreateSmart Young Design Talent Special Award, one HKDI Young Design Talent Award, one PolyU School of Design Young Design Talent Award, and three candidates receive the Young Design Talent Special Mention Award. Since its debut in 2005, 90 candidates have received the financial sponsorship for overseas experience, opened a new chapter in life, and explored a global design perspective. This important platform recognises promising local young design talents, aged 35 or below, and serves to maintain the city’s competitiveness and consolidate its role as an Asian design hub. The Awards Publication: Design for Asia: DFA Awards 2016 A good design is the mainstay of creative economy, and a solution to social issues as well as a vital element for improving people's lives. The Awards Publication, “Design for Asia: DFA Awards 2016” (ISBN 978-988-13863-2-8) introduces the design thinking behind each of the winning projects and winners in 2016, is available for public order at www.dfaawards.com. More information about the winning projects at YouTube or Facebook by searching: DFA Awards. - End - 2 About the DFA Awards In 2003, the Hong Kong Design Centre launched the DFA Awards to underpin the role of designers in society, to celebrate design excellence with impact in Asia and for Asia, as well as to recognise the rising force of emerging designers in Hong Kong through its five major award programmes - The DFA Lifetime Achievement Award signifies the design community’s respect for individuals who have made life-long contributions to design profession, education and the society. The DFA Design Leadership Award recognises business leaders who create exceptional sustainable business success through strategic and innovative use of design. The DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer is a major accolade for designers of Chinese origin with significant design achievement and international recognition. The DFA Design for Asia Awards covers a wide range of design that embodies Asian aesthetics and culture and influences the design trends in Asia and for Asia. The DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award nurtures the development of local emerging designers and provides sponsorship for them to undertake work or further education overseas. www.dfaawards.com About the Hong Kong Design Centre Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2002 as a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as centre of design excellence in Asia. HKDC pursues its public mission of using design and innovation to drive the value creation of business development and improve the well-being of society by providing diverse exchange platforms, anchored by five major work directions: CONNECT, CELEBRATE, NURTURE, ADVANCE and ENGAGE. HKDC’s flagship programmes include Business of Design Week (since 2002) – Asia’s leading annual conference and event on design, innovation and brands; the DFA Awards (since 2003) – the most recognised awards for design from an Asian perspective; the Design Incubation Programme (since 2012) – a two-year incubation programme that nurtures future design-preneurs; and Knowledge of Design Week (since 2006) – an annual thematic design knowledge-sharing platform on how design can solve the complex challenges facing our society. www.hkdesigncentre.org This press release is issued by DT Digital on behalf of Hong Kong Design Centre. For further enquiries, please contact: Media Contact Programme Contact DT Digital Hong Kong Design Centre Larry Kwan Ivan Kwok Tel: (+852) 3696 6999 Tel: (+852) 3793 8445 Fax: (+852) 3007 4397 Fax: (+852) 2892 2621 Email: [email protected] E mail: [email protected] 3 Photo Captions: For downloads of winner list and high resolution photos, please visit: http://www.hkdc.hk/download/awards/DFA2016_post_event_photos&list.zip DFA Awards_01.jpg Mr. Kevin YEUNG, Chairman of Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association Ltd (right), confers the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2016 – Gold Award to the representative of winning project - The Bradley Timepieces (Apparel and Accessory Design discipline). DFA Awards_02.jpg Mr. Henry STEINER, Founder of Steiner & Co. (right), confers the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2016 – Gold Award to the representative of winning project – LIFE (Communication Design discipline). DFA Awards_03.jpg Mrs. Carol Ross BARNEY, FAIA & Design Principal of Ross Barney Architects (left), confers the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2016 – Gold Award to the representative of winning project – Sundew (Environmental Design discipline). DFA Awards_04.jpg Dr. Luisa Mengoni, Head of Victoria and Albert Gallery in Shekou (left), confers the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2016 – Gold Award to the representative of winning project – Axor Starck V (Product and Industrial Design discipline). DFA Awards_05.jpg Ms. Kai-yin LO, Chairman of Yin Expressions (right), confers the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2016 – Grand Award for Sustainability to the representative of winning project – T PARK. 4 DFA Awards_06.jpg Ms. Ma Ke, Founder of Zhuhai WuYong Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd. (right), shared the happy moment with Mr. Freeman Lau, member of Board of Directors, Hong Kong Design Centre (left) and Ms. Kai-yin LO, Chairman of Yin Expressions, after her project Holding on through the storms - Exhibition of Traditional Handmade Oil-paper Umbrella named the Grand Award for Culture. DFA Awards_07.jpg Miss Susie HO Shuk-yee, JP, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications & Creative Industries), (right), confers the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2016 – Grand Award to the representatives of winning project – KI ecobe. DFA Awards_08.jpg Representative of Grand Award winner WHILL Model A shares the thank you remarks on stage. DFA Awards_09.jpg A group photo of the DFA Design for Asia Awards 2016 – Grand Award winners and trophy presenters. DFA Awards_10.jpg Mr Leslie LU, Principal of Hong Kong Design Institute (left), presents the trophy to Kinyan LAM, winner of HKDI Young Design Talent Award. 5 DFA Awards_11.jpg Professor Cees DE BONT, Dean of the School of Design & Swire Chair Professor of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (left), presents the trophy to Sofan MOK, winner of PolyU School of Design Young Design Talent Award. DFA Awards_12.jpg Ms. Fiona LAM, Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong (left), presents the trophy to Tsz Ki SZE, winner of CreateSmart Young Design Talent Special Award. DFA Awards_13.jpg Ms. Fiona LAM, Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong (left), presents the trophy to Jacqueline CHAK, winner of CreateSmart Young Design Talent Award. DFA Awards_14.jpg A group photo of the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award winners and trophy presenters. DFA Awards_15.jpg One of the selected Grand Award winners, Mr. ZHOU Zishu, from the winning project Digua Community, was invited to share his ideas at the Business of Design Week. 6 DFA Awards_16.jpg Mr. AHN Sang-soo, Director of Paju Typography Institute in Korea (left), receives the DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 from Guest of Honour, Mr. Gregory SO Kam-leung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development. DFA Awards_17.jpg Mr. AHN Sang-soo, winner of DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 shares about his typographic design concept during the BODW Gala Dinner. DFA Awards_18.jpg / DFA Awards_19.jpg / DFA Awards_20.jpg The winning projects and winner portfolios were showcased in the DFA Awards Exhibition at HKDC Pavilion, a part of the InnoDesignTech Expo; some winning projects was also showcased with Virtual Reality (VR) technology which will provide visitors with an innovative and a more involving experience. 7 Appendix 1 DFA Lifetime Achievement Award (DFA LAA) 2016 AHN Sang-soo Director, Paju Typography Institute in Korea (PaTI) South Korea Photographer: Jung Jungho Ahn Sang-soo is one of the most active Korean creatives in the global community. In 1985 in Seoul, South Korea, he founded the Ahn Graphics, leading graphic design consultancy with strong roots in typography and editorial design. Ahn had taught Hangul typography at Hongik University for the past 20 years, he believes typography is full of latent possibilities that allow us to free the typeface from stereotypes and breathe life into with our imagination. For a young Asian democracy at a historical crossroads, Ahn created his first self-titled typeface configuration “Ahn Sang-soo” that won him nationwide fame. The bold circles and shorter strokes convey an unmistakable energy that portends of the cultural, social, and economic renaissance that have deeply reshaped Korea amid globalisation. In 2010, Ahn founded the Paju Typography Institute (PaTI) in Paju Book City, offering practical training to students from diverse backgrounds wishing to work on typography at bachelor’s and master’s levels. In 2012, Ahn was appointed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as the Chairman of the Board of Seoul Design Foundation and presided lots of game-changing projects, including the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Over the years, he also served as the ICOGRADA Vice President, and took part in numerous typography exhibitions and events, the most notable of which is the Seoul International Typography Biennale. He also published, as both art director and editor, an underground art and culture magazine, bogoseo/bogoseo (report/report), after serving as art directors for various art magazines, such as Ggumin, Ma-dang, and Meot. 8 DFA Design Leadership Award (DFA DLA) 2016 Antony LO Hsiang-an CEO, Giant Global Group Taiwan Antony Lo, CEO of Taiwan’s Giant Global Group, who goes by Tony, is more than a successful businessman who transformed a local original equipment manufacturer (OEM) into a global brand. Unlike other Taiwanese manufacturers who were content with being suppliers for foreign brands, Giant, under Lo’s leadership, took the road less travelled by launching its own brand in 1981. For Lo, cycling is more than a business; it is a way of life. He’s a cycling enthusiast on a mission to spread the gospel of cycling around the world. Besides promoting the introduction of bike lanes to Taiwan, Giant also collaborated with the Taipei Municipal Department of Transportation to develop the YouBike public bicycle sharing service. By providing affordable and convenient access to bicycles throughout the city for short-distance trips, the YouBike program provides a popular and viable alternative to motorized public transportation and Taiwan’s ubiquitous motor scooters, thereby reducing traffic congestion, noise, and air pollution. Perhaps what makes the Giant brand truly unique is the immersive experience of each Giant retail store. Although “product evangelism” is a commonly used buzzword in many industries today, employees who believe so strongly in Giant’s high-end bicycles that they freely try to convince others to buy and use them are an essential part of the Giant Cycling World experience. 9 DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer (DFA WOCD) 2016 William CHANG Suk-ping Art Director and Costume Designer Hong Kong Photographer: Wing Shya William Chang is an artist in every sense of the word. Like many of his counterparts growing up in the Crown colony who later were known as the Hong Kong New Wave, instead of pursuing a predictable and gainful career, he pursued a creative art education and threw himself into an industry in which everyone was given a chance to do something truly amazing and be recognised. Chang’s art direction and film editing skills allowed his works–and Hong Kong cinema–to take off internationally and reach new aesthetic heights. Having been trained at a film school in Vancouver, Chang began working in the late 1970s during Hong Kong’s popular culture boom. In the 1981, Chang was appointed as the art director of the thriller “Love Massacre”. Later, he collaborated unfailingly with director Wong Kar Wai, winning him local and international accolades; to name a few, “Chungking Express”(1994), “Happy Together”(1997), “In the Mood for Love” (2000), “2046” (2004), “My Blueberry Nights”(2007) and “The Grandmaster” (2013) etc. Chang has a long list of achievements and recognitions, including numerous Hong Kong Film Awards, Golden Horses from Taiwan, a Golden Rooster from Mainland China, a Cannes award, and “The Grandmaster” earned him an Oscar nomination. His self-evident passion for fine arts, films, and costumes needs no recognition from the profession, but he still welcomes and appreciates them as they help promote his Hong Kong-based art to a wider audience around the world. Besides films, William Chang has also engaged in other side design projects that have made a difference in their respective fields. From designing the interior of a private residence to airline uniforms, and from editing feature films to television advertisements, he has always been determined to apply his skills in a brand new context to defamiliarise himself and push the envelope of design. 10
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