Project Description

Collaborative Design for Charity | 為慈善共創設計

Description:
The 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake has been a huge disaster in human history and it was as well an unprecedented catastrophe for the giant pandas living in the wild. After the earthquake, a group of young artists volunteered to go to Wolong for rescue work. They encountered many pandas that had escaped the disaster. They were hungry because their natural habitat was devastated after the earthquake. One of the pandas lying on the ground seemed to be injured, but it still stayed strong. It stood up and tried to stretch the claws to reach the bamboos across the fence. This scene has been permanently fixed in the minds of these artists and since become the inspiration of HeArt Panda.

In its ten-year establishment, HeArt Panda started in its hometown Chengdu, and has since developed into a global icon for charity, spreading the Chinese spirit of ‘strength, bravery, love and tolerance’ along the way. HeArt Panda collaborates with different organisations with its iconic panda figurines, often inviting artists or renowned individuals to create customised versions, which are then auctioned for charity causes. Through「DesignXcel」, HeArt Panda offered its 8-inch version figurine as a platform for collaboration, inviting design freshmasonry Janie to apply her own narrative.

In the collaboration, Janie painted her Panda in blue and decorated it with white clouds all over. Accompanying the panda is a miniature representation of the metropolis made with paper staples. Janie describes the panda as a symbol for a ‘deep blue heaven’, where its overarching presence over the city is similar to a guardian that oversees the collective hope of its citizens. The panda also represents nature and shows the projection of Janie’s wish for the cohabitation of nature and civilisation.
2008年的汶川大地震，人類歷史上的一場巨大災難，對生活在野外的大熊貓同是一場空前浩劫。震後，一群年輕的藝術家作為志願者去臥龍賑災，遇到了很多躲過劫難的熊貓，因地震後無人照顧而飢餓難耐。其中一隻熊貓躺在地上，似乎受了傷，但還是強撐著站起來用兩隻爪子扒著圍欄，努力地伸爪去取圍欄外的竹子。這一幕被永遠地定格在這群藝術家的腦海裡。回到成都後，藝術家們以此為原型，創作出了藝術熊貓HeArt Panda。

十年流轉，HeArt Panda從它的家鄉成都出發，後來成為一個全球知名的慈善企業，宣揚「堅強、勇敢、友愛、包容」的中國精神。HeArt Panda利用其標誌性的熊貓像與不同的機構合作，經常邀請藝術家或知名人士創作定制的版本，然後將作品拍賣以作慈善用途。通過《設計列陣》，HeArt Panda善用其8吋高的熊貓像作為合作平台，邀請了設計新鮮人劉彥慈將自己的敘事加入其中。

在合作中，劉同學運用了藍色繪畫她的熊貓，並用了白雲裝飾它。伴隨著熊貓的是用紙釘製成的大都市縮影。劉同學將熊貓描繪成「深藍色天堂」的象徵，其在城市中的存在類似於掌管著人民集體願望的監護人。熊貓也代表著大自然，展示了劉同學希望自然與文明共存的願望。

Design Graduate:
Lau Yin Chi, Janie

Collaborator:
HeArt Panda

Email:
jan.lau@outlook.com

School:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 香港理工大學