What it is
Calligraplate is a tableware design that combines Chinese calligraphy with food culture and functionality. Calligraplate’s main serving occasion and the environment is the scene of a family reunion. This tableware set consists of two boxes and five plates, a plate for dipping dumplings in vinegar, a plate for personal use, a plate for Peking duck, a plate for grilled fish, and a plate for fried meat. The side view of each plate is the strokes of Chinese characters. When they are assembled in the box, they will be embodied in a two-dimensional art of calligraphy. The material of the plate is black porcelain from Shandong, China.
Who it is for
The community eating plate I designed is aimed at people who are interested in Chinese calligraphy and food culture. The stored tableware is presented as a kind of calligraphy art, mainly for people who love life and love different national cultures. Besides, people who pay attention to the quality of life and are interested in art deco style design are also the targeting groups.
How it works
Each plate is designed for different Chinese dishes. The smallest plate is used to dip dumplings in vinegar. Besides, there are duck-shaped roast duck plates designed for Peking duck and longer plates with fishtail shapes. In addition to these, there are plates for private use. This is because Chinese food culture divides food into small pieces during the cooking process. When the dishes are not in use, the dishes can be stored in special boxes. The side view of each plate is a different calligraphy stroke. When they are combined, they will be embodied in two-dimensional calligraphy art. One of the combinations is a single Chinese character—Yong (forever). This is because the “Yong” character contains all the strokes of a Chinese character. The second is to combine the plates into a martial arts style composed of calligraphic rhythms.
When and Where
Calligraplate main serving occasion and the environment is the scene of a family reunion at home and a restaurant. Because different dishes present different functions, some dishes are for dumpling vinegar, and some are for roast duck and grilled fish. These recipes are usually available during a critical family reunion. Why it matters After the 1980s, From the perspective of tableware materials, the shapes and colors of tableware, such as glass crystal, metal, and polymer materials, have become more uniform. In modern life, the time for people to eat has become more and more pressing, and functional tableware has gradually taken over the world. People’s life shouldn’t be unified by functionality. Should we use the same plate for the same food to eat? The design ideas of Modernism cannot explain why my mom’s dishes are special. Only things with our own emotions and culture. The cold modernism tableware cannot conceal the culture of an individual. With the discovery of new materials and the rise of Modernism, the unified design have spread worldwide. In such an era of rapid updates, every minute will become history. Continuously blending and updating information makes the world more unified. In terms of food culture, each culture has its own unique culture and recipes. For example, the design of tableware in each dynasty in China is different. However, with the modern development process, each culture’s tableware has become as empty as a piece of white paper. Every household uses stainless steel knives and forks, chopsticks, and white plates. In this situation, one day, the food culture of each culture will gradually disappear. I think the culture of every country is precious. The culture of each country can also be reflected in the tableware. I hope that I can design tableware for different recipes by combining the rhythm of calligraphy. Besides, I think it’s a waste of space to put the tableware in the cupboard when not in use. In fact, we don’t need a place to store tableware. The tableware itself can also be embodied as an art form alone.Chenghao_Liu_Project DOCUMENTATION – Communal Eating_ 21December2020
