In a trendy industrial space bordering a West London canal, an eclectic series of objects sit on podiums, amid coffee drinkers and creative types at work. Among them are a ceramic chihuahua in a neckerchief, labelled by its creator, Zhou Lu, as a home accessory; a delicate, extraterrestrial-looking table poised as if for lift-off; a panel of architectural designs for a Buddhist temple in the heart of London; and a stool in mint-green metal titled, fantastically, the Silent Farter.
These are just a few recent offerings from London's Chinese diaspora designers, and they signal a growing creative confidence amid a challenging landscape.
'The Made-in-China tag has brought some difficulty to Chinese designers trying to work in the UK or around Europe,' says designer Elva White, who curated the exhibition, 'Cheers', for the UK China Art and Design Association's (UCADA) festival, which ran during September's yearly London Design Festival.
'There are some issues that particularly affect Chinese designers here, and this was a way for them to talk about them, and also get some needed attention for their work.'
The association developed out of an informal group started by White and other graduates, mostly from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, and last year it secured the backing of the Chinese embassy and the British Council.
China's reputation as a manufacturing hub, combined with the negative publicity about its quality control and the youth of its design scene, can weigh heavily on Chinese designers looking to make it big overseas.
