Return to National Origins in Contemporary Chinese Art and Design
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/AI/2025/27/6Keywords:
Chinese visual culture, national identity, traditional symbolism, contemporary design, François Jullien (dé-coïncidence)Abstract
This study explores the return to national origins in contemporary Chinese art and design through the revitalisation and reinterpretation of traditional cultural symbols, aesthetics and compositional methods. Drawing on François Jullien’s concept of dé-coïncidence, the authors contrast Western ideals of fixed adequacy with Chinese process-oriented aesthetics, high-lighting the role of spontaneity, interrelation and symbolic dynamism. The article analyses how traditional elements, such as motifs from Dunhuang murals, national colour symbolism, garden aesthetics and iconic forms, are adapted in modern graphic design, architecture, product brand-ing and university logos. By examining these developments, the study demonstrates that modern Chinese visual culture maintains a dialogue with its cultural heritage, blending innovation with reimagined continuity of tradition.
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