After studying graphic design at the China Academy of Art, Jianping He earned an MFA from the Berlin University of the Arts and a PhD in cultural history from the Free University of Berlin. In 2002, he founded Hesign, a Berlin studio that not only designs posters, books, and corporate identities, but also curates exhibitions and organizes cultural events. This poster features the two Chinese characters that together translate as “China.” The characters were modeled in ceramic by artist Sonny Kim; the painting recalls the iconic blue-and-white floral pattern associated with the country. He staged these two ceramic models against a bough of white cherry blossoms.
Caitlin Condell is the Assistant Curator in the Department of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
The exhibition How Posters Work is currently on view at Cooper Hewitt through November 15, 2015. You can learn more at the exhibition homepage and find the book How Posters Work at SHOP Cooper Hewitt. #HowPostersWork
