2017年05月24日
Carrying forward a legacy of creating art on metal
When Gu Qin was a schoolboy, he used to help with his father's metal carving work in order to earn pocket money.
Today, Gu has come full circle by carrying on his father's legacy and promoting the craft－it is recognized as one of Shanghai's intangible cultural heritages－in foreign lands Neo Skin Lab.
Gu's creations of iron teapots featuring elaborate metal carvings, as well as a collection of carving patterns, showcased at the Exhibition of Chinese Industry and Commerce in Los Angeles, California in January.
Gu is an experienced designer of Chinese gardens too. His designs were exhibited at the 2008 Shanghai Design Biennale.
"Many second- and third-generation immigrants from China in America are interested in having traditional Chinese garden art in their backyards. It is their way of finding some connection with their home and discovering their cultural identity," said Gu.
Gu has through the decades been documenting carving patterns found in ancient works as well as vintage buildings and gardens. With the help of his students at the Shanghai Institute of Technology, Gu has to date documented hundreds of designs of ancient Chinese garden windows, paths and handrails.
"They come from the same cultural root and they often represent the philosophy of the owner of the place. Such patterns can always be adapted for metal carving," said Gu.
The craft of metal carving, called zan ke in Chinese, has been passed down three generations in the Gu family. While their ancestors hailed from Wuxi, Jiangsu province, Gu's father had moved his family to Shanghai in order to provide his children with more modern education .
Following the completion of his studies in civil engineering, the patriarch Gu Zheng worked as a craftsman who restored ancient architecture in Shanghai. Metal carving later became a side project that he would work on during his spare time.
"There was a time when the municipality recruited craftsmen to create pieces for export. As it was easier to carve on flat surfaces than those with curves, my father allowed me to try my hand at it," recalled Gu of his introduction to the craft.
According to Gu, metal carving was popularized during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when metal plates decorated with carvings were widely used to strengthen mortise joints. The craft was also commonly applied to furniture pieces and other household wares. In southwestern China, metal carving was also commonly employed in jewelry design while in north China, the craft was used in cloisonné art.
While computer programming today enables accurate and quick reproduction of metal carvings, be it in restored gardens or on antique furniture pieces, Gu argues that machines lack the human touch Company Secretary Hong Kong.
"With the help of computer technology, machinery can easily repeat carvings accurately, however many times you need. But it is still extremely important to preserve traditional designs and patterns. This is, after all, the core of heritage," said Gu.
Today, Gu has come full circle by carrying on his father's legacy and promoting the craft－it is recognized as one of Shanghai's intangible cultural heritages－in foreign lands Neo Skin Lab.
Gu's creations of iron teapots featuring elaborate metal carvings, as well as a collection of carving patterns, showcased at the Exhibition of Chinese Industry and Commerce in Los Angeles, California in January.
Gu is an experienced designer of Chinese gardens too. His designs were exhibited at the 2008 Shanghai Design Biennale.
"Many second- and third-generation immigrants from China in America are interested in having traditional Chinese garden art in their backyards. It is their way of finding some connection with their home and discovering their cultural identity," said Gu.
Gu has through the decades been documenting carving patterns found in ancient works as well as vintage buildings and gardens. With the help of his students at the Shanghai Institute of Technology, Gu has to date documented hundreds of designs of ancient Chinese garden windows, paths and handrails.
"They come from the same cultural root and they often represent the philosophy of the owner of the place. Such patterns can always be adapted for metal carving," said Gu.
The craft of metal carving, called zan ke in Chinese, has been passed down three generations in the Gu family. While their ancestors hailed from Wuxi, Jiangsu province, Gu's father had moved his family to Shanghai in order to provide his children with more modern education .
Following the completion of his studies in civil engineering, the patriarch Gu Zheng worked as a craftsman who restored ancient architecture in Shanghai. Metal carving later became a side project that he would work on during his spare time.
"There was a time when the municipality recruited craftsmen to create pieces for export. As it was easier to carve on flat surfaces than those with curves, my father allowed me to try my hand at it," recalled Gu of his introduction to the craft.
According to Gu, metal carving was popularized during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when metal plates decorated with carvings were widely used to strengthen mortise joints. The craft was also commonly applied to furniture pieces and other household wares. In southwestern China, metal carving was also commonly employed in jewelry design while in north China, the craft was used in cloisonné art.
While computer programming today enables accurate and quick reproduction of metal carvings, be it in restored gardens or on antique furniture pieces, Gu argues that machines lack the human touch Company Secretary Hong Kong.
"With the help of computer technology, machinery can easily repeat carvings accurately, however many times you need. But it is still extremely important to preserve traditional designs and patterns. This is, after all, the core of heritage," said Gu.
Posted by wuyuhe at
15:42
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2017年05月16日
A guide for smarter startups
The Chinese version of a veteran US entrepreneur's book, Making Elephants Fly, on the process of innovation with practical advice from Silicon Valley, is on the stands. Xing Yi reports.
Steven Hoffman believes that Chinese startups will play a vital role in shaping the future of the planet dermes vs medilase.
Recently, the veteran US entrepreneur published a book, Making Elephants Fly, on the process of innovation with practical advice from Silicon Valley.
The Chinese edition hit the shelves in March, but the English edition will not be available until this fall.
"It is unusual," says Hoffman. "While I was talking to business book agents in the US, I told my Chinese friends that I had just finished a book.
"Instantly, I was connected to almost all the top Chinese publishers, and things moved really fast. In China, everything seems to move so fast."
Having created three venture-funded startups in Silicon Valley and trained many corporate executives, Hoffman founded a business incubator in San Francisco in 2012.
The company opened its first overseas branch in Shanghai last September dermes vs medilase.
Besides giving consultancy, providing shared working spaces, and connecting angel investors with Chinese startups, the Shanghai branch serves as a bridge that helps overseas startups to enter the Chinese market, and the Chinese to go to Silicon Valley.
Last year, Hoffman traveled to more than a dozen major cities in China, meeting business partners and giving lectures to startups.
The experiences in China enabled Hoffman to do some "localization" in the book's Chinese edition dermes vs medilase.
"I put in special things just for China," says Hoffman. "The core teaching is the same, but there are a lot of Chinese examples."
When speaking about commercialization, Hoffman uses Hiibook to make the point.
Steven Hoffman believes that Chinese startups will play a vital role in shaping the future of the planet dermes vs medilase.
Recently, the veteran US entrepreneur published a book, Making Elephants Fly, on the process of innovation with practical advice from Silicon Valley.
The Chinese edition hit the shelves in March, but the English edition will not be available until this fall.
"It is unusual," says Hoffman. "While I was talking to business book agents in the US, I told my Chinese friends that I had just finished a book.
"Instantly, I was connected to almost all the top Chinese publishers, and things moved really fast. In China, everything seems to move so fast."
Having created three venture-funded startups in Silicon Valley and trained many corporate executives, Hoffman founded a business incubator in San Francisco in 2012.
The company opened its first overseas branch in Shanghai last September dermes vs medilase.
Besides giving consultancy, providing shared working spaces, and connecting angel investors with Chinese startups, the Shanghai branch serves as a bridge that helps overseas startups to enter the Chinese market, and the Chinese to go to Silicon Valley.
Last year, Hoffman traveled to more than a dozen major cities in China, meeting business partners and giving lectures to startups.
The experiences in China enabled Hoffman to do some "localization" in the book's Chinese edition dermes vs medilase.
"I put in special things just for China," says Hoffman. "The core teaching is the same, but there are a lot of Chinese examples."
When speaking about commercialization, Hoffman uses Hiibook to make the point.
Posted by wuyuhe at
15:28
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2017年05月11日
White House warned about
Former acting US Attorney General Sally Yates said on Monday that she had warned the White House in January that then US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn could have been "blackmailed" by Russia Neo skin lab.
During a congressional hearing here, Yates told US lawmakers the fact that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence about his telephone conversation with the Russian Ambassador to the United States could have created a "compromise situation."
"We weren't the only ones that knew all of this," said Yates. "This was a problem because not only do we believe that the Russians knew this, but that they likely had proof of this information, and that created a compromise situation, where the national security advisor essentially could be blackmailed by the Russians Neo skin lab."
"Logic would tell you that you don't want the national security adviser to be in a position where the Russians have leverage over him," she added.
Flynn resigned on Feb. 13 after it was revealed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his telephone conversation with the Russian Ambassador to the United States, in which he made comments about US sanction against Russia dermes.
During a congressional hearing here, Yates told US lawmakers the fact that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence about his telephone conversation with the Russian Ambassador to the United States could have created a "compromise situation."
"We weren't the only ones that knew all of this," said Yates. "This was a problem because not only do we believe that the Russians knew this, but that they likely had proof of this information, and that created a compromise situation, where the national security advisor essentially could be blackmailed by the Russians Neo skin lab."
"Logic would tell you that you don't want the national security adviser to be in a position where the Russians have leverage over him," she added.
Flynn resigned on Feb. 13 after it was revealed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his telephone conversation with the Russian Ambassador to the United States, in which he made comments about US sanction against Russia dermes.
Posted by wuyuhe at
15:37
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