Zhang Yu Lian, 2017 graduate student majoring in design at Faculty of Humanities and Arts of Macau University of Science and Technology, won two international awards for his artistic drawings on old bottles. His “Bottled People” art series entered the 2018 World Illustration Awards (WIA) and won an honor award at the 11th International Design Awards (IDA), USA.
Zhang Yu Lian and his award-winning “Bottled People” art series
The 2018 World Illustration Awards (WIA) was firstly launched by the Association of Illustrators, UK, and has become a globally creditable illustration award; as the only world illustration award of the UK, the WIA has been acclaimed as the Oscar of the illustration industry. Since its establishment in 1972, the award selection of the WIA has grabbed immense attention from the industry, and international art creators even take the WIA award-winning art pieces as benchmark, and draw references from the works to develop trends and culture. This year, the WIA attracted 3,300 artists from 75 countries, which adequately demonstrated the highest standard and breadth of the development of world illustration art. The 200 pieces of WIA finalists' art works will be officially displayed at the long-standing Somerset House in London, and then go on a world exhibition tour. The shortlists will be further collected in the World Illustration Awards Catalogue, sending to 1,300 major members of the industry worldwide.
“Bottled People” series: Fu, Lu & Shou, the three gods of fortune, prosperity & longevity
Zhang Yu Lian also won the International Design Awards (IDA), USA, which is one of the most authoritative international design awards in the country. The IDA was launched in California, USA, in 2007, and has been seen as “precursor” of renowned design awards. The awards covers five categories, including architectural design, interior design, product design, fashion design, and print design. The IDA sets high standards for competing artworks in terms of design, creativeness, affordance, and innovativeness. This year, IDA received a larger number of submissions from designers and organizations from 95 countries and regions.
“Bottled People” series: The Cellphone Slaves
Zhang Yu Lian adopts a novel approach in his exploration of different forms of art design by combining recycled bottles with illustrations, and integrating design mentality with life reality; this had led to a series of exuberantly expressive art works. Winning the awards has validated his learning outcomes and exemplified the experimental practice of applying class knowledge in real practice.
In addition to WIA and IDA, Zhang Yu Lian’s “Bottled People” series has also won awards at the GDC17 and Hiii Illustration. The bottles were exhibited at the 2018 Asia Illustrations Annual Awards – Four Years’ Highlights Exhibition. Zhang Yu Lian expressed that as his art project aims to demonstrate real-life topics, the “Bottled People” series is still under continuous creation and perfection. He would commercialize the art works, applying them in cultural creative products and commodities. As the art works derive from real life, they should serve the real life in return; to him, this is the real essence of art design.
“Bottled People” series: Idols
“Bottled People” series: Alcoholics
