Graphic Design Sweatshop, China

Curriculum Vitea:

Nivard Thoes (1980, The Netherlands) China, 2011

Nivard Thoes

Education:
— Graphic- & Typographic Design @ the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, The Netherlands (Bachelor of Design).

Internship:
— Wang Xu & Associates Ltd,.(WX-Design), China, 2005.

Scholarship:
— 'Delta Beurs' 2006 (DELTA Scholarship Programme).

Exhibitions:
— 'Edits', Central Station Amsterdam, 2011 [De Appel - Arts Centre].
— "Neue ShowUsYourType", La Galería Cosmo de Barcelona, Spain 11-2010.
— 'Anti-Design Festival' (at the London Design Festival), London 2010.
— 20th International Poster and Graphic Design Festival of Chaumont - France, 2009. (Festival International de l'Affiche et du Graphisme de Chaumont)
— HongKong Business of Design Week, Hongkong, 2008 (Alumni Delegate).
— The 3rd International Poster Biennial, Hangzhou, China 2007.
— 'Chinese Contemporary Book Design Exhibition' at the Atron-Gallery, Shenzhen, China 2006.

exhibitions

Awards / Nominations:
— 'Honourable mention' @ the 3rd China International Poster Biennial, Hangzhou (2007).
— Nominated for the 2006 Art Olive-Young Talent Award (Jong Talent 2006) annual Dutch awards for the country’s most promising recent graduates from leading Dutch art academies.
— Nominated for Zuid-Hollandse VormgevingsPrijs 2006, awards for design graduates from the province of South Holland.

Publications:
— 'Typodarium 2012' by Slanted, Germany 2011.
— 'Communication Arts Magazine', Issue March/April, USA 2011.— 'Graphic Design 3' publication by Zeixs, Germany 2011.
— 'Common Interest: Documents', by Index Book, Barcelona 2010.
— Etapes Magazine: Diseño y Cultura Visual. Vol. 2, #8, Dec. Spain 2009.
— 'Worldwide Graphic Design: Asia' by Zeixs & 'Feierabend Unique Books', Germany 2009.
— Etapes Magazine #174 France 2009.
— FPO (For Print Only) by 'UnderConsideration LLC', USA 2009.
— Catalogue: 20th Int. Chaumont Festival 2009.
— 'Graphic Design Inspirations II', by Slanted Magazine, published by DAAB publishing, Germany 2008.
— Catalogue: The 3rd Int. Poster Biennial, China 2007
— 'SoHo-Magazine' (China) Oct. 2006

publications

Industry Experience:
— Co-owner: UNIT/CODE Alliance, China (est. 2011)
— Independent Graphic Designer, China (2006–present)
— Freelance Designer, Wang Xu & Associates Ltd,. China. (2005–2009)
— Art Director, YU+Co.[hk], Hong Kong SAR, China (2009)
— Associate TH–NL Architects (2006–2011)

Selected Online Resources:
— 'Fresh Profile', Communication Arts Magazine
— Q & A with Nivard at 'Creative Cities Amsterdam Area' [Dutch]
— Article on Nivard's book design (Nakajima Monograph)
— Company Profile on CCAA Website
— Article on Geotypografika.com
— Labor & Curse
— Edits / De Appel - Arts Centre
— Saatchi Gallery Online
— The Anti Design Festival / London Design Festival
— Flickr.com

Nivard has worked for:

— A 1000 Plateaus Art Space, Beijing
— Astrid Vrensen - Soprano
— Beijing Queer Film Festival
— BioMarkt, Amsterdam
— Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
— China Youth Press
— Edits - Amsterdam
— Guangdong Museum of Art, China
— Indian Rose Tours
— KunstEyssen, Centre of Arts
— Mattmo, Shanghai
— Municipality of Alkmaar, City Council
— Pé Okx / Xie. Okx
— Saltans Architects Intl.
— Shenzhen Intl. Ink Biennial
— Stichting Nachtwerk
— Stichting Tango-Art
— TaiHua Real Estate
— Theater De Vest
— Times Museum, Guangzhou
— Ullens Centre of Arts, Beijing (UCCA)
— Van Hoeken Thoes Architects BV
— Wang Xu & Associates, Beijing-Guangzhou
— W.I.T Design Alliance

Dutch graphic designer Nivard Thoes graduated from the graphic- and typographic design department at the Royal Academy of Art in the Netherlands in 2006, receiving nominations for the ArtOlive—Young Talent Award (Jong Talent 2006) annual Dutch awards for the country’s most promising recent graduates from leading Dutch art academies and the Zuid-Hollandse VormgevingsPrijs (awards for design graduates from the province of South Holland). Since 2005 Nivard has been working on a wide variety of projects in China for high profile clients often in collaboration with Guangzhou based Wang Xu and Associates Ltd., one of the pioneering graphic design studios in mainland China.

Most notable projects include the volumnious monograph of Japanese designer Hideki Nakajima (2006), the threefold book-series 'Architecture in Translation' (2007), the underground Beijing Queer Film Festival (2008) and the visual identity for Times Museum in Guangzhou (2008) designed by Dutch architects Rem Koolhaas and Alain Foureaux (OMA). Besides working in China, Nivard also cooperated with Dutch clients including the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou, the Municipality of Alkmaar and architecture firm TH-NL.

His work has been exhibited at the China International Poster Biennial (Hangzhou, 2007), the HongKong Business of Design Week (BoDW, 2008), the 20th International Poster and Graphic Design Festival of Chaumont (France, 2009) and more recently at Neville Brody's Anti-Design Festival (London, 2010). In 2011 Nivard's work is exhibited at Central Station in Amsterdam as a part of the Edits project, with artwork created for De Appel - Arts Centre.

Publications of his projects featured in FPO (For Print Only) by UnderConsideration LLD (USA), the international publication Graphic Design Inspirations by German magazine SLANTED & DAAB Publishing (Berlin), Common Interest: Documents by Index Book Publishers (Barcelona) & EMMI Studio (London) and Worldwide Graphic Design: Asia by Zeixs & publishing house 'Feierabend Unique Books' (Germany). Acclaimed French design magazine Étapes (#174) published an article on Nivard's type-design and commissioned work, titled 'Fibres Typographiques' in Nov. 2009, shortly followed by the Spanish edition Étapes: Diseño y Cultura Visual, Vol 2,#8 with 'Fibras Tipográficas'. In 2011 his work featured in Communication Arts Magazine (Issue March-April, USA) and SLANTED initiative Typodarium 2012 published by Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz (Germany).

Nivard has been working and living in Southern China (Guangzhou/Hong Kong) since 2006. Partner of the newly established Sino-Dutch joint venture Unit\Code™ Alliance (China), "International Coalition for Mental Hygiene, Mechanical Aesthetics and Design" in collaboration with Chinese designers Lin Fan (industrial design), Zhan HuoDe (interactive media).


"Fibres Typographiques ¶ En coopération avec THNL Architectes, le graphiste Nivard Thoes contribue à la rénovation de l'hôtel de ville d'Alkmaar, ville des Pays-Bas. La tonalité dégagée à travers la famille typographique Highfibre Polygon et la série de motifs recouvrant le tapis de la chambre des conseils réactualise l'histoire du lieu et trouve son équilibre entre épure des formes contemporaines et graphies élaborées du Moyen Âge. L'alphabet, et ses multiples versions, emprunte à la diversité stylistique des blackletter et introduit la forme polygonale, pont graphique entre le trace anguleux de la gothique et une géométrie moderne. Nivard Thoes a travaille à partir du manuscrit de la charte communale, écrit au XIVe siècle, dont les 62 "commandements" sont destinés à êtres inscrits en Highfibre Polygon sur le murs du bâtiment rénové." © Caroline Bouige Étapes Magazine: Design et Culture Visuelle #174 NOV.01.2009 • FRANCE

"Nivard Thoes, diseñador holandés experiencia China. Nivard Thoes se graduó en la Royal Academy of Art de Holanda, y desde entonces trabaja como diseñador independiente en China. Viviendo en Hong Kong ha sabido aprovechar toda base académica que se llevó desde países bajos y amalgamarlo de una forma exquisita e inteligente con cuotas de inspiración amarilla. Diseño bien actual, que destila personalidad y ganas de ir a por más en este oficio en el que por suerte no está todo inventado. Thanks Nivard!" © MiraMama Design Blog "miramama.com" NOV.24.2010 • SPAIN

"A Collection of Impressive Designs. 先日エントリした、Wang Xu 氏の元でも働いていた、香港在住のオランダ人デザイナー、Nivard Thoes 氏のポートフォリオ。めちゃくちゃ格好いいので是非ともポートフォリオの隅から隅まで舐め回すように見て欲しい。もうね、ズキューンときちゃったよ、思わず。この漢字とアルファベットの文字組といい、雰囲気有り過ぎで個人的には相当ショックを受けてます。" © Takeya Suzuki / Yamatologia.com.ismo™ Inspiration Blog by Japanese Designer Takeya Suzuki Satzuquinigo.graphics™ APR.22.2011 • JAPAN

"Nivard Thoes is an independent graphic design professional and his website is really original. Like the bold black on white headers and the boxed-in grid for navigation. As you scroll projects, navigation always stay on top." © Carole Guevin / 'Featured By' Eye candy Curator and Editor of 'Featured by' OCT.12.2010 • FRANCE

"Based in China, Dutch graphic designer Nivard Thoes has an absolutely incredible body of work on his site. This site makes me light-headed with joy. Yes, joy." © Michael Lassiter / Labor and Curse.com Design blog by Michael Lassiter MAY.14.2009 • North Carolina USA

"Sino-Dutch graphic explorer and contemporary Marco Polo."
"…A true explorer in every sense of the word, Nivard is currently working in Guangzhou after having first founded his ambitious “sweatshop”/studio in Hong Kong in 2006. His work is an inspired blend of Dutch and Chinese influences, encompassing an exhaustive breadth of application both in Holland and in China." "…A graduate of the venerable Royal Academy of Art in the Netherlands in 2006, Nivard set out on his move to Hong Kong and quickly established himself through an intricate blending of Sino-Dutch formal languages." "…Please visit Nivard’s own site for an exhaustive representation of current and past projects. His example should be an inspiration to students and practitioners who may be considering ways to engage in a greater world of graphic opportunity."

JUL.08.2011 • USA

"Nivard Thoes
A graphic designer who combines type and color to great effect." ¶ "…Operating under unbearably poor conditions with a nocturnal manual work flow, daylight and sleep deprived, surrounded by loud, bombastic music, consuming moonshine and nicotine, instant noodles and unlimited fresh strong coffee. Preferably once a year, Nivard’s nomadic “Graphic Design Sweatshop” relocates to the (even more secluded) Mediterranean island of Kythira in southern Greece to work on self-initiated projects."

NOV.15.2011 • USA

" Nivard Thoes & Ma Yan Jun - Apple Polisher Sweatshop (inspired by de Appel)
Approximately 260,000 travelers pass through the Central Station of Amsterdam on a daily basis. Now imagine this; your artwork on display at one of the busiest locations in the city… It becomes reality for 8 talented designers during the exhibition Edits. For one year their work will be displayed around the Central Station."

MAY.05.2011 • The Netherlands

"This front-to-back, back-to-front monograph for Japenese designer Hideki Nakajima is a behemoth in both size and production values. I can’t even imagine what the process it must have taken to bind 1,400-plus pages and what’s even greater is that it still achieves a sense of softness and delicacy that in perfect-bound or Smythe sewn form would have probably looked like a boring encyclopedia. Designer Nivard Thoes explains: “The bilingual book is divided into ten categories and can be read from back to front and vice versa — the book has no front or back. One side of the book is provided with a hardcover (dutch-board), The other cover is formed by ten separate semi-transparent layers.” By looking at just the images you don’t get to see the transparent pages right away, but once it’s pointed out the effect is subtle. Nice to see a collaboration between two designers (Nakajima and Thoes) work out so well."

APR.07.2009 • USA

"el grafista Nivard Thoes renueva el ayuntamiento de Alkmaar (Holanda)"

DEC.01.2009 • SPAIN

"I don’t think you get a lot of Dutch designers working in China but Nivard Thoes is one of them. I really like the mixture of Chinese and European style type in there, it’s funny how the mixture still seams exotic because it’s so foreign to us."

JUL.28.2011 • DANMARK

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