Promotion: trade show Design Shanghai returned for its 13th edition last month, bringing together over 500 Asian and international brands for the four-day-long event.
This year’s edition, which took place from 19 to 22 March, continued the fair’s aim to platform design from China and the wider East Asian region on a global stage – spotlighting both emerging talent and established designers.
“For 13 years, Design Shanghai has championed modern design across China and Asia, witnessing the rise of a dynamic creative era,” show director Zhuo Tan said.
“It’s inspiring to see so many remarkable designers and artists shaping this momentum, as Asian design steps confidently onto the global stage,” Tan added.
This year’s edition saw the design fair return to its original venue, the historic Shanghai Exhibition Centre, which allowed for large-scale installations and a “more artistic journey for visitors”.
The fair also coincided with Design in the City – an extension of Design Shanghai established in 2014 – aligning it with Shanghai’s wider cultural and creative scene.
During the 4-day-long event, the forum programme was headlined by the Kohler Design Shanghai Global Design Conference, with key speakers including the director at Zaha Hadid Architects, Satoshi Ohashi and co-founder of Moooi, Marcel Wanders.
The show also presented a line-up of international brands, including Lasvit, Artisan, GUBI, Artemide, L&S Group, BD Barcelona, Glas Italia, Waldmann, Villeroy & Boch and Asian brands U+, SHANG XIA, PUSU, FNJI, foxx Chair, Past to Now and 12h.
Design Shanghai 2026 was organised into four main sections: Furniture and Lighting; Kitchen, Bathroom and Systems Design; New Materials and Applications; and Living and Lifestyle.
Within the sections were five specially curated programmes, including Talents, Made in JDZ, Beyond Craft, Collectible Design and Art and Materials First.
This year’s Beyond Craft exhibition – which first launched in 2024 – saw creations spanning jewellery, objects and furniture from more than 10 brands, and highlighted traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
Among those exhibiting were Tokyo-based Domyo, showcasing handcrafted knotted cords, and fifth-generation atelier Kubo Paper Studio, offering work that draws on centuries-old paper art.
Also displayed were projects by Tokyo-based Emision, Japanese studio Kasane, Shanghai and Japan-based HARIO Lampwork Factory and Chinese studio Bing Yu Tang.
Frank Chou curated Design Shanghai’s Talents showcase – a flagship exhibition launched by the design fair to platform designers under the age of 35 and “champion a new generation of designers”.
China-based studio Liang Living Studio, founded by artist Hong Zhangliang, presented a study of classical Chinese vessel archetypes realised in marbled porcelain, which received the event’s Best Artistic Product Design award.
Another regional studio that took part included Trigram, which was awarded the Media’s Favourite Award.
The Best Commercial Product Design went to Air Sketch, and the Best Experimental Product Design was given to German designer Friedrich Gerlach.
The Made in JDZ section, curated by designer Ryan Ran, brought together ceramics, metalwork and lacquer art under the theme of Craft without Borders – reflecting how “craft is moving beyond the exhibition hall and into fashion and everyday life”.
As part of the showcase, the JDZ Gallery was launched for the first time, showcasing works by a group of international artists, including Harumi Nakashima, Nikolas Iturralde Graber and Maria Ganeva.
“Traditional craft exhibitions often emphasise the technical height of craft itself, whereas Made in JDZ focuses more on an attitude of how craft can sustain itself, revive, and enter everyday life,” Ran said.
The Collectible Design & Art showcase presented a series of limited-edition works, with contributions from UK-based Hugo Design, French studio Zeto Art and Indian brand MINGYU XU STUDIO.
Additionally, a Re-art Room, curated by Yiqian Zhao, collated the work of 10 artists to create a “carefully composed environment” that focuses on the physical experience of texture, form, and detail.
To find out more about the fair, visit the Design Shanghai website here.
The photography is courtesy of Design Shanghai.
Design Shanghai 2026 took place from 19 to 22 March 2026 at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, 1000 Middle Yan’an Road, Shanghai, China. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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