Taikkun Yang Li (1981 born in Guangzhou,China ) is currently living in Vancouver,BC. Taikkun professionally crosses the boundaries between Fine arts,Industrial design, Sculpture, Ceramic, Film, and Photography. His projects are extensively published and exhibited in North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (France and Italy), and Asia (China and Hong Kong). He attended the Milan Design Week 2009 at Fabbrica del vapore Milan as featuring his Zenergy project–using Tibetan prayer wheels and tourists resources in cooperation to generate electricity in Tibet. He was invited to join the UNESCO Beijing Urban Preservation Project in 2005. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). After CAFA, he went on to receive one of the most distinguished full Merit Trustee Scholarships to further his education in the MFA program at the School of Art Institute of Chicago. He was a research specialist in the Renewable Energy Division for the Center for Massive Change and was chosen to work for the GFRY studio subsidized by the Motorola Foundation. After apprenticing under renowned designer Bruce Mau, he currently runs a product design brand, T A I K K U N (TM). For More about Taikkun’s design discipline , please go to this website.
EDUCATION
- MFA, The School Of Art Institute Of Chicago, City of Chicago, IL, 2007-2009
THESIS: Prayer Wheel Energy Generator (Displayed in Milan Design Week 2009)
- BFA, China Central Academy Of Fine Arts, Beijing, China, 2002- 2007
- Associate Degree, China Academy Of Fine Arts, Hangzhou, China, 1997-2001
- Design Management (Certificate), Design School Of China Central Academy Of Fine Arts, Beijing, China, 2006
ACADEMIC HONORS AND AWARDS
- The Epson International Photographic Pano Awards – Winner of Bronze Award , 2010
- Milan Design Week at Fabrica Del Vapore – Zenergy Project(2000 Watt Living), Milan, Italy, 2010
- Recipient, Full Merit Scholarship for two years, School of Art Institute of Chicago, 2007 to 2009
- Documentary Lost Dream Of Beijing (IMDB) were official selection: Rotterdam Architecture Film Festival, San Francisco Tiburon International Film Festival, Washington DC Independent Film Festival,2007 to 2008
ACADEMIC / TEACHING EXPERIENCE
CHINA NATIONAL SCULPTURE MAGAZINE – DIAO SU
Associate editor 1/2010 to now
GFRY LAB , subsidized by Motorola GFRY Foundation
Research Specialist 9/2008 to 6/2009
THESIS: 2000watt Living – Sustainable product research and design (Presentation file available upon request)
CENTER FOR MASSIVE CHANGE, CHICAGO, IL,USA
Researcher and apprentice of world renown designer Bruce Mau, 9/2007 to 6/2008
THESIS: Localized Energy with alternative thinking (Presentation file available upon request)
URBANPROMISE, VANCOUVER, BC, 2010
Instructor(Community Service),
(UrbanPromise Ministries is a non-profit organization that provides an afterschool program for elementary age children. http://www.urbanpromise.ca)
SCHOOL OF ART INSITUTE OF CHICAGO, IL, 2007 to 2009
Teaching Assistant,
- Assist teaching course on the 200-500 level to classes of 15 to 20 undergraduate students.
- Sustainable Design (Architecture Department)
- Digital Modeling and Fabrication in laser technology (Designed objects Department)
- Fundamental Furniture Design and Making (Designed Objects Department)
- Ceramic seminar I,II (Ceramic Department)
- Video Installation (Film and Video Department)
- Advanced Ceramics II ( Ceramic Department)
- Wood working (Sculpture Department)
LECTURES AT
- Grand Valley State University, WI, USA
- School of Art Institute of Chicago, IL, USA
- University of the District of Columbia, DC, USA
SYMPOSIUM
- Milan design week 2009,Febbrica del Vapore, Milan, Italy, 2009
- The Ceramics Forum of Cranbrook Academy of Art/The School of The Art Institute of Chicago/Grand Valley State University, Grand Valley, WI, USA, 2008
- Press Conference and Panel Discussion, DC Independent Film Festival, University of the District of Columbia, DC, USA, 2007
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Member Space Generation Advisory Council, UN ( http://www.spacegeneration.org )
- Senior member and advisor, WuJinZang Historical Heritage and Craft Preservation and Restoration Organization, Hangzhou, China
EXHIBITIONS (2005-2010)
2010 Reinvent Prayer Wheel Exhibition, the eatART foundation, Vancouver,Canada
2010 Quintessence Art Bank, the global creative arts festival,Beijing,China
2009 Milan Design Week , Fabbrica Del Vapore, Italy
2009 Making Modern Show, Sullivan Gallery, Chicago, USA
2008 Solo Exhibition “Propaganda Relic”, Art Factory 798, Beijing,China
2007 Group Exhibition “Dropped Frames”, Gallery 2, Chicago,
2006 Charity Communication, The first session of Fengliang International Art Exhibition On Peace, Beijing
2005 Group Exhibition “Beijing & Beijing”, UNESCO, China
PUBLICATIONS
ONLINE REFERENCE