At the opening event, international guests including Cui Qiao, Chairwoman of the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation; Jia Wei, a leading figure in China’s contemporary healing art movement; Jia Wei KK, Chairman of LKK Design Group; and Jessica Fang, Brand Director of Pechoin Group, were interviewed by Celebrity Media host Miao Su. The discussions focused on topics such as Chinese design, creativity in the AI era, sustainable development, and cross-cultural exchange.

During the interview, Cui Qiao, Chairwoman of the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation, shared her observations on public culture and urban creativity during her studies in Berlin, Germany. She noted that the foundation has long promoted international cultural exchange projects, hoping to create a more open and healthy environment for younger generations through art and the humanities. “How to ensure that young people’s creativity is not suppressed, and how to allow everyone to express their individuality, has always been something we deeply care about.”

Regarding the challenges faced by young designers in the post-pandemic era, Cui Qiao emphasized that contemporary art and design must become more connected to real people and social emotions, rather than remaining solely at the industrial or visual level. She encouraged young creators to strengthen international cooperation and cross-cultural exchange, and to boldly explore new possibilities. “Young people should not isolate themselves in studios, but should actively engage with the world and build their own international social and collaborative networks.”

Speaking about the impact of artificial intelligence on the design industry, she stated that AI is more like a tool, while human judgment, philosophical thinking, and emotional experience remain irreplaceable. “No matter how powerful AI becomes, it can never truly possess joy, pain, or lived experience, and those are precisely the most precious aspects of humanity.”

As a longtime leader in the international beauty industry, Jessica Fang discussed how Chinese design must establish its own Eastern system of expression in order to truly enter the global stage, rather than merely imitating Western design language. She believes Chinese design should preserve its cultural DNA while also responding to globally shared concerns such as sustainable development, population aging, and emotional value.

She also pointed out that in the AI era, young designers need to cultivate strong aesthetic awareness, empathy, and cultural insight. “Artificial intelligence can improve efficiency, but it cannot replace human emotion, vision, or cultural accumulation.” She believes that truly competitive future design will emerge from a deeper integration between humanity and technology.

Meanwhile, Jia Wei, an important representative figure of China’s contemporary healing art movement, introduced his Blooming Mountains and Seas series in detail during the interview. He explained that the series revolves around the theme of “chasing sunlight and pursuing hope,” using the image of a little girl constantly moving toward the light to convey the power of life and inner hope. “Having light in one’s eyes, dreams in one’s heart, and moving forward with determination — that is the state of life I hope to express.”

Jia Wei explained that the little girl with “X”-shaped eyebrows in the Blooming series is, in fact, a projection and reconstruction of his own inner spiritual world. He believes that genuine artistic expression comes from humanity’s most authentic emotions toward life. “The desire to express itself is a form of vitality — a primal life force rooted in love and compassion.”

During the interview, Jia Wei also reflected on his personal journey from reaching the peak of industrial design, to experiencing life’s lowest moments, and eventually returning to artistic creation. He candidly stated that the most important lesson in life is learning to “accept.” “Everyone experiences both highs and lows in life. The most important thing is to accept everything life gives us, while also having the courage to let go of past pain, fame, and wealth.”

He believes that only by truly letting go of gains and losses can people rediscover the meaning of life, and that “starting over” itself represents a form of life reconstruction. “I spent more than thirty years in design, and later restarted my journey in art creation. For many people, that was a completely new beginning. But I believe that a new beginning itself is a new life.”

Discussing the influence of the AI era on art and design, Jia Wei said that while artificial intelligence may improve efficiency, it cannot truly replace humanity’s perception of life, emotion, and the spiritual world. “No matter how powerful AI becomes, it will never truly experience joy or pain, and those are exactly the most important parts of being human.”

He concluded by sharing a message with young creators: “We should never be afraid of starting over. Very often, right now is the best beginning.”

This edition of the CHINA NEW DESIGN exhibition brings together works spanning AI technology design, youth visual media, independent illustration, sustainable materials, new Chinese lifestyle concepts, and animal protection design. The exhibition not only showcases the diverse expressions of China’s new generation of creators, but also serves as an important platform for cultural dialogue between Chinese design and the international community.

In New York — a global metropolis where artistic and creative forces from around the world converge — CHINA NEW DESIGN is allowing the world to rediscover contemporary Chinese creativity through a more open, diverse, and vibrant approach.