Last Saturday, I attended the 2021 Beijing International Design Week & Beijing Design Expo and was invited as a guest to attend the "Hong Kong IP Power" Hong Kong Creative Brand Theme Exhibition in Design Week. Looking back on my work experience in Hong Kong and the Mainland, I am glad that I have grasped the opportunities given by the times.
Gao Shaokang was interviewed by a reporter from Beijing Daily during the theme exhibition
Gao Shaokang told an audience about the design concept of his work
Gao Shaokang
My name is Gao Shaokang, and I grew up in Hong Kong. When I was in elementary school, I liked to participate in some drawing and design competitions. At the age of 15, I participated in a stamp design contest in Hong Kong and won the championship. The person who presented me the award happened to be the internationally famous designer Jin Daiqiang. At that time, there were also some newspaper interviews, and Uncle Jin said that Shaokang had a talent for art and could develop into a professional designer, which gave me great encouragement.
From left to right: Mr. Gao Shaokang, Dr. Jin Daiqiang, Mr. Liu Xiaokang
Later, I entered the Art Department of Chinese University in Hong Kong and joined Jin & Liu Design Consulting firm at the age of 22. Around 2007, I was invited to travel to five cities in mainland China by the Traveling Exhibition of Hong Kong's New Generation Designers. After getting in touch with the design circles of different cities, since 2008, I have decided to transfer my business center from Hong Kong to the mainland and devote myself to the development and development of the mainland market. In 2010, I became a design partner of Jin Liugao.
Jin Liugao's classic design - Bank of China
Now I have been in the mainland market for 13 years. Over the years, I have been responsible for participating in such years as the logo and image of Shenzhen Airport, the image of Bama Tea Industry, and the image of Ordos cashmere. Of course, I also have a deep relationship with Beijing - I have traveled to Beijing many times for business and have also been responsible for many design projects. Impressive was the design of the National Centre for the Performing Arts' guidance system. At that time, the engineering requirements had to be carried out without destroying the interior space and structure of the building. The architecture of the National Centre for the Performing Arts is a circular structure, its own design is very special, and the guidance system must be designed directly and emotionally, and it must also show creativity, so there are many very detailed practical problems to overcome. During that time, my colleagues and I worked hard, repeatedly studied, and thought of many ways to solve some things that landed on the ground. Fortunately, the task was finally completed.
Design of the guidance system of the National Centre for the Performing Arts
Such a difficult and challenging job is often encountered for us. In my opinion, for a person's life to develop successfully, talent and hard work are very important, but opportunities are also important. Just like the traveling exhibition more than a decade ago, after touring many cities, I found that the mainland market is so vast. Although at that time, Hong Kong's design work also had a relatively mature market, but its market traffic was so large. Therefore, that exhibition gave me a thought: Will the mainland give more development opportunities to young people in Hong Kong? How to grasp it? Therefore, in 2008, we tried to focus on opening up the mainland market and have been doing so far. Now it seems that we have hitched a ride on the train of that era.
Gao Shaokang designed the logo and image for Shenzhen Airport
Today, my work is mainly in Shenzhen. There are several different work schedules each week. Over the years, I have also traveled to many provinces and cities in the mainland and gone to remote places to do children's public welfare activities. I have seen the situation in the mainland with my own eyes, and whether it is good or bad, I have a more rational and objective understanding. In Hong Kong, there may be some young people who have opinions and prejudices against the mainland. However, they have not had much contact with the real situation in the interior, and they have not even been to the interior. But I have always believed that no matter what kind of system everyone is, there is still a greater Chinese cultural background behind this, which is a historical view and a national cultural view, which cannot be ignored, and we should face it more inclusively.
Gao Shaokang carried out image design for the Eight Horse Tea Industry
Because of this, last year I took my eldest son from Hong Kong to Shenzhen to attend high school. I want my children to get some opportunities and time to interact with the culture of the mainland during their study in the mainland. Let him finish high school in the mainland, and I hope that he will go out in the future. In this way, he can have a larger world view, which I think is better.
Brand image and space design of Gao Shaokang Bookstore
Next, this year, I will hold my own art exhibition, design living space exhibition, and a gallery in the ancient city of Nantou. I think that for many young people in Hong Kong, if you are eager to come to the mainland to try and develop, you may wish to look at the policies provided by the Hong Kong SAR government and some governments in the mainland. With the general trend of the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, young people in Hong Kong can now get a lot of practical support policies when they go to the mainland for employment and entrepreneurship. But opportunities can also change with the times. Young people should understand this era, and under the opportunity given to you by the times, seize the opportunity to sharpen their skills and improve themselves. Remember, the harder people work, the luckier they get.
Vice President of the Hong Kong Designers Association and Design Partner of Jin Liugao - Gao Shaokang
Source Beijing Daily Client | Reporter Pan Zhiwang Meng Ziwei Li Songlin
Edited by Pan Zhiwang, Meng Ziwei, Li Songlin
Process Editor Liu Weili