Interview
Quaaware Ltd,, Taiwan
Chien-Tung Chen, founder of Quaaware Ltd, began his academic path in his home country, studying finance and taxation for a strong business foundation. Seeking broader horizons, he moved to the United States, starting with computer science before discovering a passion for creativity.
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your creative background.
Regarding my background, I studied finance and taxation in Taiwan, and went to the United States to study computer science first, then transferred to graphic design, and finally received a BFA degree from Computer Arts. After returning to Taiwan to settle down, I worked in many different industries, which helped me accumulate a lot of cross-field experience and knowledge.
2 What made you become/why did you choose to become a creative?
To answer this question, I
3 Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.
This is a one-person company, and I do everything by myself. I know a little bit about recording, a little graphic design, multimedia design, a little programming, a little photography. I also like to write poems and In addition, I also devoted myself to practicing Chinese calligraphy. These talents made me what I am today. Although I cover a wide range of fields, when I encounter something that I am not good at, I will know how to learn or cooperate with talents who are more professional than me.
4 What does “creativity” mean to you?
To me, creativity means to solve a problem in an extraordinary way.
5 To you, what makes a “creative” idea and/or design?
For sure, a
6 Tell us about your creative and/or design process.
Researching the related topic is always the first step. Then, after digesting the collected information, I will list a topic range and organize it into more systematically organized materials. The rest will be let these organized materials speak for the work.
7 What's your favorite part of the creative process and why?
Learning new things is the most fun and my favorite part. Learning new things will have a sense of freshness in itself, and it is this freshness that brings joy to the spirit!
8 Describe your creative style and its main characteristics.
Since I cover a wide range of topics, interests and skills, and especially like to study classics, my design style tends to interpret traditional classics and form my own characteristics.
9 Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your creativity process?
Yes. Every culture heritage got its own character. Through a creativity process, every culture
10 Congratulations! As the winner of the 2023 MUSE Creative Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
It means a lot to me. Since Muse Creative Awards is an international award. It helps normal people to recognize my professional skill reached the international level.
11 Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2023 MUSE Creative Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
This award-winning work chose to challenge a difficult problem: Taiwan is currently undergoing a presidential election, and the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are on the verge of war. As a long-term student of Chinese calligraphy, I found the "intersection" of Taiwan's traditional Chinese characters and mainland simplified Chinese characters in cursive calligraphy, and proposed Using "traditional calligraphy and cursive writing" to unify texts from the Greater China cultural circle, I chose to organize my first solo exhibition around the ending time of the presidential election to enhance the exposure of this issue in a physical location. I chose to enter this project for gaining more resonance online.
12 What was the biggest challenge with this project?
First of all, it must be explained that in the contemporary environment where computers and mobile phones are popular, people have fewer and fewer opportunities to write. Coupled with the "de-Sinicization" policy promoted by the government authorities over the years, calligraphy education is no longer a required subject in primary and secondary schools as it used to be. Even among calligraphy enthusiasts, there are very few people who write cursive script. Although education in Taiwan is now popular and there are almost no illiterates, most people are illiterate in cursive script! The biggest challenge of this work is to use cursive script that ordinary people cannot understand to communicate and encourage people to learn cursive script. In addition, the classical poems that take up a large part of the work also require explanation and translation for people who are familiar with vernacular Chinese. Understand what this poster wants to communicate.
13 How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?
Winning the award is of greatest help to my career because it confirms my sense and skill in the field of graphic design.
14 What are your top three (3) favorite things about our industry?
It is not easy for me to pick top three favorite things, since I am a cross-border creator. I told myself that the number one favorite thing will be Chinese calligraphy from my wide interests.
15 What makes your country specifically, unique in the creative industry?
Taiwan and Hong Kong is the only two places in the world using traditional Chinese, while traditional Chinese is the very special writing system that modern people can read ancient classics with a little effort, comparing to other writing system around the world. However, there is a little difference in between Taiwan and Hong Kong. Mandarin is written in Taiwan, while Cantonese in written in Hong Kong. Traditional Chinese makes both Taiwan and Hong Kong so unique in its way.
16 Where do you see the evolution of creative industry going over the next 5-10 years?
It
17 If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring MUSE Creative Awards submitter, what advice would you give them?
Learn to hear critical critiques is very important. Treasure those people who are willing to give you authentic critiques. Those words will make people grow.
18 What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the creative industry?
That depends on what kind of skills that someone want to acquire.
19 Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
I would not give an answer on this one. People might start thinking that I am crazy, while I really like Steve Jobs
20 Who has inspired you in your life and why?
1. Leonardo da Vince - the Renaissance man. 2. Steve Jobs - Apple, Mac, iPhone. 3. Burce Lee - the Kung-fu master brought Chinese martial art to the West. 4. Lin, Yutang - a lot of his book has been translated into English, that helps the western world get to learn more about Chinese culture during his time period. 5. Anastasia
21 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Accumulate different kinds of skills. Speaking of wisdom, I believe that the major key law of the universe is the law of cause and effect.
22 Which THREE (3) friends/peers would you nominate to participate in the next MUSE Creative Awards?
Please pardon me that I do not have closed friends to nominate.
23 Do you have anything else you would like to add to the interview?
Peace and love!
Entrant Company
Quaaware Ltd.
Category
Strategic Program - Event Campaign