Kejie Lin: Cultivating a Garden of Time, Memory, and Belonging

Kejie Lin’s transformation from a landscape architect to a contemporary gongbi painting artist is as deliberate and precise as the strokes in her paintings. For over twenty years, Kejie designed gardens, orchestrating nature into harmonious compositions that invited reflection and calm. Today, she cultivates these same principles on paper, transforming the ancient, meticulous technique of gongbi, known for its fine lines and detailed brushwork, into a contemporary practice that speaks of her own journey.

Her latest exhibition, A Garden of My Own, at the Varley Art Gallery, extends this creative world and draws audiences from the moment they step inside.

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseNovember 14, 2025design annual, artist, Chinese Artist, artistsComment

Ou Ma: Canada’s Newest Name in Bridal Couture 馬歐：加拿大高級訂製婚紗界的一顆新星

Brimming with talent, Vancouver-based fashion designer Ou Ma is making waves on the west coast with her exquisitely tailored creations. Intrinsically artistic and vividly expressive Ou Ma, is the Beijing-born, Fashion Institute of Technology educated, couture-trained, passionate force at OUMA. The tactile and artistic mediums of illustration and painting found Ma at an early age while growing up in Beijing. This innate talent inspired her to shift from the canvas to physical expression, where movement, intent, and emotion can come to life in the space between fabric, form, culture, and the human experience to create something of deep emotional resonance.

Danny Lee Chin-Fai: Sculpting Harmony, Legacy, and Diaspora 形與意的交響：李展輝談藝術人生

Hong Kong, a city of neon lights and whispered histories, hums endlessly at the intersection of the ancient and the modern, the East and the West. It is a place of contradictions – a city that carries within it the echoes of temples, quiet in incense smoke, juxtaposed against the bustle of crowded, cosmopolitan streets. Within this labyrinth of cultural dualities and layered identities, the contemplative sculptures of Danny Lee Chin-Fai emerge – shaped by and, in turn, shaping the identity of the city itself.

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseOctober 27, 2025design annual, artists, artist, sculptureComment

Stand at the Feet of History: Meet Me at the King Tree 與千年香樟樹王結緣：穿越時空的上海養雲安縵酒店體驗

I held my daughter’s hands as she steadily walked a wooden spoon of water to the foot of the King Camphor Tree. “King Tree,” she delightfully whispered as she poured the well water as an offering, with reverence and childlike wonder. The camphor tree stood in the heart of the central courtyard, the largest and most majestic of the ten thousand trees at Amanyangyun, with a weight of 80 tonnes and a trunk so thick, its circumference would take at least a dozen people to join hands in a circle to offer a full embrace. The King Tree has borne witness to time well before ours; estimated to be at least 1000 years old, it was alive when the Ming and Qing emperors ruled, and lived through regimes and changes that we can only read about in history books.

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseOctober 23, 2025design annual, Heritage, heritage, Architecture, Hotel, Luxury Hotel, product designComment

Art at the Fingertips 指尖上的藝術

Suzhou, an ancient Jiangnan city renowned for its picturesque waterways, is also home to the millennia-old art of Su embroidery. Using needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, embroiderers create intricate designs on plain silk fabric, reflecting the refined beauty of Jiangnan’s canal towns. As one of China’s four great embroideries (alongside Xiang Hunan, Yue Guangdong, and Shu Sichuan), Su embroidery captivates with its refinement, delicacy, elegance, and purity, embodying the ethereal beauty of the region and the cosmos.

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseOctober 10, 2025design annual, craftmanship, designComment

Chris Ong: A Keeper of Living Heritage 古宅古物故人情

The light in Seven Terraces filters gently through antique shutters, casting patterns on blackwood furniture polished to a soft gleam. Porcelain kamchengs sit proudly on sideboards, their intricate designs hinting at stories of a bygone era. For Chris Ong, this isn’t just a hotel—it’s a living archive of Peranakan culture, a legacy he fears could fade without care. “Heritage isn’t just about things,” he says, his voice steady but reflective. “It’s about stories, traditions, people—that’s what keeps it alive.”

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseAugust 14, 2025design annual, malaysia, Collections, Heritage, heritageComment

Zoe Siu: Every Knot Tells a Story 繩實設計：蕭俞

Zoe Siu’s hands glide over vibrant ropes, twisting them into intricate forms that elevate both a humble material and an ancient craft into bold contemporary statements. From sculptural jewellery to large-scale installations, her creations breathe new life into the ancient art of Chinese knotting. Based in Hong Kong, Siu has built a reputation for transforming tradition into bold contemporary statements, connecting centuries-old craftsmanship with modern design.

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseJuly 30, 2025design annual, artists, artist, Chinese ArtistComment

Designing Love, at Mid-Autumn: Childhood Lanterns 愛的設計：點亮童年中秋燈籠

Leading the momentum of celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in Canada in elevated style, the Fête Chinoise collectors’ edition mooncake tin from our Love at Mid-Autumn project created conversations and delight with families in Canada and in Asia last year. The illustrated pattern of Hong Kong’s phenomenal neon lights in 2024 was a huge favourite amongst Fête Chinoise readers and supporters, and sold out very quickly.

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseJuly 24, 2025design annual, Love at Mid-Autumn, MooncakesComment

Inside the Homecoming Pre-Race Celebration for Samantha Tan at BMW

Professional race car driver Samantha Tan (Fete Chinoise Edition 9: Finding Momentum) is home in Toronto for IMSA's only Canadian race weekend, which also happens to be Samantha's first home race in 8 years! On July 9th, Maranello BMW in Vaughan hosted an intimate cocktail evening in support of ST Racing and Women in Motorsport Canada for over 150 VIPs, fans and car enthusiasts.

Food and LifestyleFête ChinoiseJuly 11, 2025restaurant, Restaurant, Hotel, Luxury Hotel, design annualComment

Dining Diasporas 流徙滋味

Diaspora communities around the world allow for a richness of diversity to flourish. As different cultures of people leave one place and plant their roots in another, the sense of place, of the homeland, transplants through pursuits and stories of cuisine, design, and artifacts. In this chapter, cities and memories collide in London, Toronto and Hong Kong.

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseJuly 7, 2025restaurant, Restaurant, Hotel, Luxury Hotel, design annualComment

Design Moments 從設計尋根

As the Year of the Dragon draws to a close, we take a moment to revisit some of the standout designs that captured the essence of the Dragon. From fashion and spirits to accessories and home décor, these creations have made a lasting impression. Which one is your favourite, and what are you most excited about as we welcome the Year of the Snake?

Design DialogueFête ChinoiseNovember 14, 2024art, chinese, Luxury, product design, design annual, Packaging DesignComment

Cutting Through Tradition: Yang Shih-yi’s Intricate Paper Art 因捨而得的剪紙哲學

In a world where artists often boast about their exceptional and distinctive creations, Taiwanese paper-cutting artist Yang Shih-yi stands apart with his humility. Unlike many artists who speak loftily about their works, Yang describes himself as merely a storyteller, messenger, and servant to serve others' needs. He even goes as far as to say, “The arts might not even be significant.” His primary concern is whether his works will inspire a sense of joy and well-being in people.