.png)
Design Shanghai 2026 took place from 19–22 March 2026 at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, themed around nature and sustainability in shaping the future of design.
Chinese design is no longer an emerging narrative. It is a defining force rekindling the global design canon. What distinguishes this moment is not scale, speed, or production, long associated with the country, but a profound shift toward authorship, cultural specificity and material intelligence. Chinese designers are not simply contributing to global design; they are actively reframing its values, offering an alternative to Western centric modernism through a lens that feels at once historical, philosophical and forward thinking.
This shift unfolded with particular clarity at Design Shanghai 2026, which returned to the historic Shanghai Exhibition Centre for its 13th edition this March. More than a homecoming, the fair marked a distinct inflection point. “For 13 years, Design Shanghai has championed modern design across China and Asia,” said show director Zhuo Tan. “It’s inspiring to see so many remarkable designers shaping this momentum, as Asian design steps confidently onto the global stage.”
.jpg)
At the centre of this evolution, Design Shanghai has become more than a regional showcase. It is a critical interface between East and West, where ideas around craft, technology and human centric design are actively negotiated. That momentum is underpinned by a deeper shift. “We will place greater emphasis on human centric design,” Tan noted, “making the exhibition more personal and meaningful… exploring a fundamental question: through design, where are we heading?” Increasingly, the answers are being authored by Chinese designers themselves, through work that moves seamlessly between craft and industry, philosophy and form, heritage and future.
This new generation operates with a dual consciousness. On one hand, there is a rigorous engagement with heritage, from Ming era furniture typologies and inspired-ceramics. On the other, there is an equally assured command of contemporary discourse, spanning sustainability, material experimentation and cross-disciplinary practice.
As global design continues to grapple with questions of meaning, longevity and ethics, Chinese designers are offering a different blueprint, one informed by evolution rather than reinvention. Against this backdrop, Design Shanghai 2026 presented a compelling roster of designers and studios rethinking the contours of contemporary design.
Here is a considered edit of 12 Chinese designers to watch now.
Zeng Qiang / 12h
Working at the intersection of slow design and contemporary living, Zeng Qiang’s Shanghai based studio 12h distils mid-century influences through an Eastern lens. The Record Cabinet, exhibited this year, reflects a new kind of ritual around music and collecting, rendered in solid wood, it speaks to a growing interest in objects that carry emotional longevity.
SHANG XIA & Zhou Guangming
Founded in 2008 by the Hermès Group and Chinese designer Jiang Qiong'er, SHANG XIA has steadily built a distinct position within the luxury space, one that feels true to Chinese cultural heritage while remaining contemporary.
At Design Shanghai 2026, that sensibility extended beyond the objects themselves into spatial experience, through a collaboration with Zhou Guangming of Vermilion Zhou Design Group. Working from the idea of bridging heritage and the contemporary, Zhou approached the booth with a light hand. Instead of relying on visual cues or symbolism, the space was shaped through structure and rhythm, allowing references to tradition to emerge more intuitively.
It felt considered without being overworked. Craft, atmosphere and spatial flow came together in a way that was both restrained and immersive, reflecting a shared sensibility between brand and designer. Rather than looking back, the installation suggested how tradition continues to evolve, offering a more grounded and lived in vision of contemporary Chinese design.
Chen Yanfei / PUSU
Chen Yanfei founder of Shanghai based design studio PUSU, approaches furniture with a sense of restraint that feels increasingly rare. Drawing from Ming dynasty forms and calligraphy, PUSU’s work is rooted in continuity rather than nostalgia, with lacquered surfaces and hardwood structures that emphasise balance and stillness.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Shen Baohong / U+
Founded in 2008, U+ a leading Chinese furniture brand continues to define an assured minimalism. Under Shen Baohong, the studio navigates a global design language while remaining grounded in Chinese philosophy, creating furniture that feels both precise and culturally attuned.
.jpg)
PAST TO NOW
PAST TO NOW works with history in a way that feels truly modern. The studio revisits existing forms and refines them for contemporary use, focusing on proportion, material and clarity over reinvention. Shown at Design Shanghai 2026, the collection spanned furniture and lighting, including a sculptural lamp that captured this approach well. Nothing felt over designed. Instead, each piece carried a sense of dignity, where subtle adjustments allowed familiar forms to sit comfortably within a modern context. It is less about reimagining the past, and more about extending its relevance in a way that feels natural and enduring.
.jpg)
Hong Zhangliang / Liang Living Studio
Hong Zhangliang is a ceramic artist and the founder of Liang Living Studio, a design practice that combines traditional Eastern craftsmanship with contemporary design approaches. His work moves fluidly across materials. Known for marbled porcelain techniques, his practice extends into stone, metal and wood, exploring how pattern and form can translate across disciplines while retaining a strong material identity. For this year’s show, Liang Living Studio presented a series of works based on classical Chinese vessel archetypes. The collection was realised in saggar and jade glazed marbled porcelain, referencing historical forms through contemporary production methods.
JUN WANG STUDIO × Ziyuan Jiang
Grounded in a research-led approach, JUN WANG STUDIO is a design practice based between Tianjin and Kyoto. For the show, the studio presented lighting works from the Unreleased series, comprising experimental pieces that explore material tension, structure and light.
Yin Dahua
Yin Dahua works across furniture and lighting, combining traditional Chinese joinery techniques with contemporary geometric forms. At Design Shanghai 2026, he presented a collection that included a sculptural dining table with copper accents, a copper and oak coffee table and a series of volcanic inspired lamps. The works are defined by material contrast, particularly between wood and metal, and by a focus on structural clarity.
Yilu Studio
Yilu Studio is a Shanghai based design practice working across product design and consultancy. The studio focuses on material and structural exploration as part of its design process. At Design Shanghai 2026, Yilu Studio presented a parachute-shaped lighting system. Crafted from innovative PVC materials, these lamps embody the studio’s exploration of weightlessness and light diffusion.
.png)
NEARBY
NEARBY is a ceramic studio and brand rooted in Jingdezhen, dedicated to exploring the everyday relevance and expressive possibilities of ceramics in contemporary life. Amongst the highlights was the NEARBY ‘Spherical Stem Cup’, a delicate porcelain cup surrounded by ceramic beads, creating a slender and upright silhouette.
Hu Yuehua
Hu Yuehua, a Yunnan-based contemporary artist and founder of Hu Yuehua Art Studio, presents her standout work, “Weaving Nature,” at the 13th edition of Design Shanghai. Drawing on local craftsmanship and natural materials, Hu bridges the worlds of art and design through her immersive textile practice.
“Weaving Nature” is a large-scale textile installation composed of indigo and ochre-dyed cotton and linen. Leaves, blooms and organic growths are meticulously stitched together to form a dense, wall-like garden. Loose threads, raw edges and carefully arranged pleats radiate across the upright composition, creating a rich interplay of colour, texture and form. By merging traditional techniques with contemporary ecological concerns, Hu explores the intersection of craft and nature in a way that is both visually striking and conceptually resonant.
.png)
