Designing is a bridge that connects art forms
Print Edition
FOR Li Ruiding, women and costumes are inseparably connected — an elegant woman is as good as her costume.
“A woman’s real beauty lies in her wisdom and inner belief, like a costume,” the famed stage and costume designer says. “I love old architecture, items with history, and people with stories.”
Li showed up last weekend at Mansion Hotel Shanghai, the former residence of old Shanghai mob boss Du Yuesheng (1888-1951), for its monthly culture salon with the theme “Women’s Beauty in the Eyes of a Male Artist.” He spoke at length and showed off some of his creations.
Li graduated from Shanghai Theater Academy in the 1980s with stage art and design as his major. He has designed sets and costumes for over 250 shows and events, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the opening ceremony of World Expo Shanghai 2010, the dance ballet “Butterfly Lovers” and “Dances of the Dynasties.”
Li, who is in his early 50s, says fashion is a bridge that connects different art forms. “All that I am doing is to build this bridge, and designing costume is one of the ways,” he adds.
Li also designed the costumes for the 2016 Silk Road International Exhibition wherein he showcased a lot of Chinese elements.
Born in Deyang, Sichuan Province, Li’s love for Chinese elements can be found in many of his works, including the “Butterfly Lovers.”
Some of the details in his costumes reflect the styles of Xinjiang and Tibet.
“As a designer born and raised in China, I am not adding the traditional elements in my works deliberately, but the Chinese history and senses are already in my blood,” he says.
Li was the assistant designer for Beijing Olympic Games, and worked with Japanese designer Eiko Ishioka. Two years later, he was the chief designer of Shanghai World Expo. The experience made him universally famous.
“I must say that the experience (of working at the Beijing Olympics) was very important to my career, not merely for the fame, but for the attitude toward my works,” he says. “I became more confident and honest in my designs.”
Li says designing for big international events can be challenging — especially balancing the arts and politics.
“In the end I found that presenting Chinese culture and beauty honestly was the best solution,” he says.
His cooperation with Ishioka was a long-distance effort — Li worked in Shanghai while Ishioka was in New York. They relied heavily on the Internet and fax — over 20-centimeter-high fax papers were used, Li says.
The designer still insists on doing his designs on the paper first rather than use the computer. He considers the drafts a precious record. At the Mansion Hotel Shanghai, he gave away five of his precious design drafts to participants as gifts.
“I can say that I am not a very commercial designer — dream, life, friends are much more important than money,” he says.
Li went to study and work in Japan in 1988 after teaching at the Shanghai Theater Academy for three years — a stable and well-paying job for many people at that time.
“Challenging myself is a kind of ‘destruction,’ which is important in my life and in my designs as well,” he says.
During his time in Japan, Li learned the most advanced textile skill. He made over 100 costumes in Japan — right from the draft to the final product.
“This experience helped me as a stage costume designer,” he says.
Li showed his talents in fine arts from the very beginning. He started painting and performing very early in his life.
He says his mother, a woman who loved beauty, was the earliest inspiration for him, especially her sense of dress and make-up.
“Talent may be very important to an artist, but working hard is equally vital for success,” he says. “I can say that I am the best in China today, because I have never stopped learning and enriching myself.”
Li travels a lot, experiencing different cultures and learning new technologies.
“The inspiration of design comes from what you have in your mind,” he says.
Li is now busy designing costumes for a ballet in Sichuan, his hometown. He rejected a call from a TV series to focus on the project.
“I cannot overload myself to make money ... Enjoying life, food and friends are as important as my work,” he says.
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