Jiang QIONG ER

Artistic Director, Shang-Xia – Hermès

As Artistic Director of SHANG XIA, Ms. Jiang Qiong Er is one of the few young Chinese contemporary designers of international reputation infusing the subtlety, beauty, and heritage of Chinese culture. Her designs breathe elegance of innovation and imagination. Her international vision and open mind, along with her multi-cultural background, naturally allow her creativity to express itself; preserving and respecting tradition, both Eastern and Western.
At SHANG XIA, Jiang Qiong Er oversees a team of designers who create the range of collections that embody the essence of SHANG XIA. The collections are the encounter of Asian heritage and innovation, creating a new aesthetic for the 21st century.
Born into a family of artist-creators in Shanghai, her family history is anchored in Asian tradition. Her grandfather Jiang Xuan Yi, who later studied abroad, belonged to a generation of Chinese painters born in the century when European and American artists were undertaking the “Journey to the Orient”. He was himself inspired by western techniques and influences. Her father, Xing Tong He, is the architect of the Shanghai Museum.
Jiang Qiong Er was introduced to traditional painting when she was two years old and later became a student of the painter Cheng Shi Fa and the calligrapher Han Tian Hong, two leading figures in traditional Chinese art. She then joined the prestigious Tong Ji University to study design. Her degree is in Art & Design. Upon graduation, she chose to go to the Decorative Arts School in Paris to further her studies in furniture and interior design. This choice completely changed her life.
After returning from France, Ms. Jiang experimented with many techniques and found in her double culture an eternal source of inspiration. Her work mingles techniques, intermingles references and bridges provocative traditions with a modern language. Through her work the inspiration of the long history of China can be found.
Through continual exposure to all fields of art, Ms. Jiang came to appreciate even more the rich cultural heritage she was born into. Understanding more and more Chinese craftsmanship and the deft skills of these craftsmen, Ms. Jiang was touched by the power and beauty of their work. This became the impetus of the dream to have the world appreciate the craftsmanship and design of China.
As an artist, Ms. Jiang has exhibited in Switzerland, the United States, France, and numerous other museum exhibitions. Her work can also be found in museum collections. She has participated in international projects as well as having received multiple awards. As once a Creative Director of Hermes windows in China, the encounter began, and together with Hermes, Ms. Jiang set up SHANG XIA.
Today Jiang Qiong Er is completely devoted to developing SHANG XIA and promoting Chinese fine craftsmanship to the world.