Runan Shao

Runan Shao’s new series treats lacquer art as a visual grammar. Familiar motifs including flowers, butterflies, and the logic of kintsugi repair, are deconstructed into lines, fragments, and modular forms. Traces of gold powder, the shimmering glaze of cracked lacquer, and matte pigments collide and blend against a black backdrop, transforming lacquerware from precious vessels into a vibrant visual language. By reassembling fragments into crisp, contemporary compositions, the works invite audiences to encounter tradition through a design lens they can interpret and cherish. Destruction becomes transformation, preserving the lineage of craft while initiating fresh aesthetics, sparking dialogue, and reigniting passion for exploring traditional techniques.