Hong Kong native Julius Hui is on a mission to build a new typeface that traces the lineage of the Chinese language, a font he calls Ku Mincho. In China, typography has a sordid history of colonialism and political standardization—first, calligraphy styles were dictated by the whims of emperors, then by Japanese imperialism, and then by the boom of digital media which introduced “fat and …
Italian coffee brand illy enlisted Ai Weiwei for a new collection of cappuccino and espresso cups, available in sets of two or four. The dripping design is a nod to the artist’s 2006 artwork, “Colored Vases”—a piece that consists of 51 ancient vessels painted in bright colors, a reference to the Chinese Cultural Revolution and covered up history.
From Yueqi Qi’s eponymous brand (which is a celebration of Chinese romance and “an ode to Kaiping,” the city in southern China where she spent much of her childhood), this signature scented dragon candle routinely sells out. Combining traditionally Eastern and Western design styles, the unconventional cuboid-shaped candle is engraved on four sides. Scented with white tea, it’s made with vegetable wax.
