Growing number of Chinese design talents shine on global stages

NEW YORK, March 25 (Xinhua) -- It looks like a normal six-string electronic guitar. But after Li Shuyu and Chase Philpotts fiddled with some little secret parts on it, the guitar magically split in half, creating two three-string "baby guitars" that could be played by two to make the same wonderful music.

This special guitar, named "Splita," was invented by Li and Philpotts, both second year graduate students majoring in Industrial Design at the New York City-based Pratt Institute's School of Design, dubbed a "cradle" of modern elite designers. The young men spent a month on designing and making the piece, before presenting it at a mini-concert held in their department weeks ago.

"We surprised our fellow students a little bit when we tore the guitar apart," said Li, 28, at his department's workshop on Pratt's Brooklyn campus. "You know, that's what we want to achieve."

On the other side of the room, 24-year-old Hong Sisi was playing on her lap a crescent-shaped wooden instrument. Hong said it's an adapted Kalimba, an African instrument which originally looks like a small cutting board with over a dozen metal pieces as keys attached to it.

Although Hong's work is several times bigger than a normal Kalimba, she said it's actually easier to handle than the original version. "I care about the ergonomics in designs," said Hong, who can play the piano, Guzheng (a traditional Chinese string instrument) and bass. "For example, violin players may suffer from shoulder pains because of the orthodox way to hold the instrument. My Kalimba enables the musician's arms to be placed in a more natural way."

The room was crowded with youngsters like Li and Hong, who were displaying their creative works ranging from more wearable shoes, 3D-printed chocolates to furniture that can also function as decorations. Nearly half of the students came from China.

Though it's very competitive to enter the program at Pratt, a growing number of Chinese students have been enrolled in recent years, Constantin Boym, chairperson of Pratt's Industrial Design Department, told Xinhua while making a random inspection at the studio.

"We very much appreciate the Chinese students here because of their skills, the quality of their work and their attitude," said Boym, pointing at a stockpile of creative designs. "Things are done in such a meticulous way that, you know, it gives me much pleasure."

As more Chinese students come to study in the United States, their choices of majors have expanded from natural sciences that often promise a good career, to a wider spectrum that includes arts and design, which used to be dominated by Western talents.