A Global Past, A Shared Future
Among the many traveling goods and ideas in global history, blue-and-white wares and their distinct aesthetic emerged as a transcultural phenomenon that resonates even today. Firmly associated with China yet never limited by any geographical or cultural boundary, the ‘global blue-and-white’ serves as a perfect metaphor for the GCS program’s vision to understand China from a global perspective.
This design draws inspiration from ‘Kraak’ export porcelains, a major form of art and commodity that witnessed and facilitated transcultural exchange between China and the wider world in the past. While I allowed the geometric layout of enclosed panels to recall the formal vocabulary of recognizable historical artifacts, I have also actively transformed the traditional iconography into a new design of visual and thematic intrigue. Bringing together iconic architecture and figures from multiple continents and centuries, I wish to give voice to the deeply human need to connect despite geographical and temporal boundaries. In doing so, I prompt my viewers to consider what it means to study history in a globally-oriented institution: are we not studying the global past for the sake of a shared future?