12H
Zeng Qiang

"My studio is artfully named Shi-Er-Shi-Man which translates in English to 12 hours slow. "

I chose the name in homage to ancient China’s 12-hour day. It reminds me to live—and make art—slowly and to the fullest each day. Unconcerned with conformity and most comfortable with freeform design, I take great pride in creating pieces that are meant to be treasured for years to come.

Every new project is a chance to embrace childlike naivety as a gateway to new ideas without limits or constraints. I founded my studio, Shi-Er-Shi-Man Studio in 2015 while in the midst of an illustrious career as a Creative Director in the advertising space. After enjoying success in my field and winning several prestigious awards from the Cannes Film Festival and D&AD, I decided to walk away from it all.

Even at the peak of my career, the decision was easy. It was simply time to move on and explore my true passion. My team and I value modern touches, but we have also studied the rich history, style and techniques of traditional Chinese design. We combine into our work stunning elements from classic Chinese fine arts along with eye-catching historical design concepts.

Many of our illustrations include individualised interpretations of ancient poetic imagery and will capture the imagination of all who appreciate Chinese art and love the unexpected. We like to say that our items embody a marriage of all things traditional with modern elements—making them truly unique.

Driven by engineering techniques of the past, 12H honours the hidden truths found in poetry and traditional architecture that illuminates the heritage of China.

Unconcerned with conformity and most comfortable with freeform design, I take great pride in creating pieces that are meant to be treasured for years to come. Every new project is a chance to embrace childlike naivety as a gateway to new ideas without limits or constraints.

12H does not cater to the trends and whims of furniture design; instead, they forge ahead with works that will stand the test of time. Their credo: A marriage of all things traditional with modern elements— making them truly unique.

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