A decision was made by Professor Elaine Polvinen (Buffalo State College, US) and Professor Shen Li (Capital Normal University, China) to collaborate on a cross continent digital design project during an initial meeting during a trip to Capital Normal University sponsored by the Buffalo State Research Foundation (and hosted in China by Capital Normal University) in June 2000.

Professor Shen Li from Beijing, China has previously completed comprehensive historical research of the traditional garments and decorative embellishment of the cultural minorities in China. She has developed an extensive slide collection from this research as well as acquiring actual samples of some of the traditional garments.

Using Professor Shen Li's slide collection; a variety of traditional Chinese designs were selected, which were used to inspire new aesthetic interpretations.

Professor Shen Li scanned in a group of selected traditional Chinese designs, which were used as an inspiration resource for this project. From these resources, original art collections were developed. A long distance collaborative design development took place over the course of a year which resulted in the form of framed prints, fabric scarves, and a digital gallery.

Professors Polvinen and Shen Li each developed a collection of designs derived from the historical chinese decorative work. They have each developed and created a 12 by 36 inch (30.48CM by 91.44CM) digitally printed silk fabric poster along with a 15 by 72 inch (38.1CM by 182.88CM) digitally printed silk scarf for twelve separate Chinese design inspirations.

Each designer has created twenty-four to thirty-six pieces for this exhibit. Professor Polvinen has developed designs using a combination of an engineered representational graphic technique and a deconstructed abstract style. She has also developed designs for wide-scale (128CM wide) fabric yardages. Professor Shen Li has developed a series of designs using a free flowing non-representational technique.

Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop were used for all design development. Professor Polvinen's designs are printed on specially treated silk fabric using an Epson 3000 printer The silk yardage (Jacquard inkjet Fabric Silk Habotai) for each design was digitally printed with with acid dyes from both Digital Fabric Solutions and Jacquard Silk Inkjet Fabric Ink. Professor Li Shen's digital designs are printed using a heat transfer method.

During the development period Professor Polvinen set up a design development web page so continual collaboration could take place via e-mail and visually. Assistance was provided by Dr. exhibition Zhang Jie Director of the Center for China Studies at Buffalo State College.

In November of 2001, Professor Yi Meei Wang from Fu Jen University in Taipei, Taiwan was invited to join the Design Inspiration collaboration.

[return to main page]