Essensualism: The Craft Spirit of Contemporary Chinese Design Hardcover ? December 21, 2021

This lavish and beautiful book celebrates the long and rich heritage of Chinese crafts and its increasing influence on Chinese contemporary design. Exploring the awakening craft spirit in contemporary Chinese design, it comprehensively introduces the pioneering and inspirational work of one of its leading proponents, Shang Xia. Featured crafts include lacquer and eggshell lacquer, jade and agate carving, silk embroidery, cashmere felt, bamboo carving and weaving, furniture making and porcelain.

Charlotte and Peter Fiell are leading authorities on the history, theory and criticism of design and have written over 60 books on the subject. They are among the leading commentators on contemporary Chinese design having previously written the first comprehensive book on the subject, Contemporary Chinese Furniture Design – A New Wave of Creativity (Laurence King, 2019) and having also curated a major exhibition on the subject in Shanghai in 2019.

Jiang Qiong Er is one of China's most renowned contemporary designers and is the founder of Shang Xia, a design-led brand that is at the forefront of the emergent arts-and-crafts-inspired 'New Chinese Design' movement. Her pioneering work for Shang Xia has been collected by major museums all over the world, including the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum (London) and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris).