Shiqi Zhu (aka Jundi) is a recent graduate of Central Saint Martins who is exploring new understandings of industry and nature. Her compelling objects and accessories present possible futures that people may favor or not want to see. Using innovative printing techniques, she transforms her digital creations into touchable artworks.

During your time at Central Saint Martins, what did you study? What experiences contributed most to your current interests as a designer?

My major was Graphic Communication Design and I am from the Time & Movement group. Attending Central Saint Martins was a very interesting experience. We used to have a project where the whole school would set a theme and the different majors used their expertise to create their interpretation. It was very good to see the various outcomes that could be derived from one theme.

When did you first experiment with designing 3D accessories?

I started experimenting with 3D accessories in 2020 when I set up a brand and tried making some silicone accessories to go with the outfits. After that, I thought this approach could evolve into a lot of different things. So for my graduation project, I experimented with a lot of accessories and I'm going to develop some body accessories afterward.

Can you explain the concept behind your recent exhibition “Stochastic Order”?

The “Stochastic Order” itself is a concept that underlies all my works, an understanding of the physical world.
The best expression of this is 'fractal geometry', which is an extremely orderly expression of nature. It manifests itself almost everywhere, in human veins, in the way trees grow, and so on.
At the same time, I think this order is very industrial. Biotechnology is a form that brings together nature and industry; it also fits my aesthetic very well.

Your work is a combination of digital and physical creations. Does one form complement the other? If so, what does your creative process look like using computers and real-world materials?

Yes, most of the time I use different printing techniques to complete the physicalization of my digital creations. First I create my model and then hand it over to the factory for subsequent processing and fabrication.

Do you think the advancement of technology offers new possibilities for designers or threatens the originality of our work?

I think that any recent technology creates new possibilities and threats. First of all, the ease of our creation has definitely increased. If this advancement threatens our originality, then I would say that it is caused by the fact that the technology is not yet complete and we may need a higher technology to perfect this.

From physical props to conceptual aesthetics, your projects convey different imaginations of the future. What inspires these visions?

It's my understanding of an ideal world. We have a lot of fantasies about the future and in film and television we mostly have more apocalyptic scenarios in which we don't see any traces of nature; they are almost always extremely industrial. So I think a world where nature and industry are combined is ideal and would be a beautiful world.

As a recent graduate, are you working on any new projects or have plans for the future?

Yes, at the moment I will continue to produce designs for my brand “Xochiquetzal”, but I will also hopefully be able to venture into other industries and collaborate across borders.