RÓNG Design Library & Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation
2026 Milan Design Week
SALONESATELLITE
Exhibition time: 21-26.04.2026
Address: Booth N°E21, PAVILIONS 5/7, Rho Fieramilano , 20017 Rho, Metropolitan City of Milan, IT.
Jointly presented by RÓNG Design Library and the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF), this exhibition brings together two ongoing lines of research.
The first takes red as its point of departure, tracing the transformation of material within traditional craft and proposing that red is not merely a color, but a state of matter. Continuing the methodology of the “Joy in Color: Marie Dalgar × RÓNG Design Library Material Color Research Project,” this research returns to the sites where color is made, examining the materials, techniques, landscapes, and cultural contexts behind its formation. In this context, red is understood not simply as a visual hue, but as something generated through the interaction of material, craft, and culture.
The second centers on the Gyantse Tibetan carpet, a thousand-year-old tradition celebrated as one of the world’s great handwoven carpet traditions. Woven from northern Tibetan wool on the Tibetan Plateau at an altitude of 4,000 meters, each carpet is made entirely by hand using the distinctive rod-assisted figure-eight Tibetan knotting technique. Dyed with pigments derived from plateau plants and minerals, Gyantse Tibetan carpets embody a philosophy of harmony between humans and nature, while revealing the continued relevance of this ancient craft in a contemporary context.
Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), RÓNG Design Library and the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF) are working together to renew and advance Eastern aesthetics within today’s global cultural context. Through field research, material studies, international collaboration, design competitions, and commissioned projects, they support community development, women’s talent, and locally grounded practices in sustainable design, while opening up diverse pathways for Chinese traditional materials and craftsmanship to enter contemporary design. This exhibition presents newly commissioned works created collaboratively by Gyantse Tibetan carpet artisans and three contemporary female artists/designers:
• Chen Ke | Senecio and Prism (after Paul Klee and Sonia Delaunay) No. 19
One of the leading female figures in Chinese contemporary art, Chen Ke moves between memory, female experience, and historical imagination through painting; in this work, geometry and watercolor come together in an echo of light that travels across cultures and time.
• Li Shurui | Chance Meeting
One of the leading female figures in Chinese contemporary art, Li Shurui works with light and color to explore perception, spirituality, and ideology; Chance Meeting transforms incidental traces into a quiet poetic expression of chance, freedom, and vitality.
• Jovana Zhang | Unnamed
Founder of PINWU Design Studio and the RÓNG Design Library, Jovana Zhang works between decoration, function, and “future tradition,” reconfiguring contemporary design language through Chinese traditional materials; Unnamed brings together the saddle rug form, contemporary color, and Tibetan carpet craftsmanship in a reflection on freedom, strength, and dignity.
As a material-centered research platform, RÓNG Design Library is dedicated to the study and transmission of knowledge embedded in Chinese traditional craft. It approaches craft not as static heritage, but as a living knowledge system capable of shaping contemporary design.
The Róng Design Award extends this mission internationally, inviting designers to engage directly with craft communities, material research, and field-based practice. On the opening morning of the exhibition, the winners of the 2026 Róng Design Award will be announced on site by Ms. Marva Griffin, founder of SaloneSatellite. BCAF will support the winning international designers through a residency in China.
Róng Design Library
PINWU Design Studio founded Róng Design Library in 2015 as a non-profit initiative. It is the first material library in China dedicated to traditional craft knowledge.
Róng Design Library’s core mission is to deconstruct traditional Chinese crafts through the lens of materials and making processes. By translating craft knowledge into material research, the library makes these insights accessible to designers and artists worldwide. It encourages material-driven and material-first approaches to contemporary creation, aiming to support the regeneration of traditional crafts and contribute to the evolution of contemporary design.
Address:RÓNG Design Library, Qingshan Village, Huanghu Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou
Connect with Róng Design Library :
Email: info@ronglibrary.com
Website: https://www.ronglibrary.com/
Xiaohongshu: RÓNG Design Library
Instagram: RONG_DESIGN_LIBRARY
Media Contact
Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF)
Email: jiawen.luo@bcaf.org.cn
(Please specify: Media Name + Gyantse Tibetan Rug Project Collaboration)
