Residency at Róng Design Library in China

Join us for a conversation with Jovana Zhang, Founder and Design Director of PINWU Design Studio and Róng Design Library, as she introduces the vision, history, and evolving mission of the Róng Design Library residency program in China.

Róng Design Library

Róng Design Library was founded by PINWU Design Studio in 2015. It is a non-profit welfare organization and the first library in China focusing on traditional handcrafts and materials. The core mission is to preserve the knowledge of Chinese traditional crafts and related materials. Furthermore, it offers a platform to deconstruct crafts, analyze materials and creating contemporary designs. Programs such as RONG Design Exhibition, Guest Designer Project and others were launched to share our vision to the public and among other creatives.

Jovana Zhang

Jovana was born in 1983 in Belgrade, Serbia, studied furniture and interior design at the University of Belgrade. In 2010, she co-founded PINWU Design Studio with Lei Zhang and Christoph John, exploring Chinese materials and crafts. In 2013, PINWU won the Salone Satellite Award, and she launched the Rong Project to research traditional craftsmanship; in 2015, she co-founded the Rong Design Library. Her work spans installations, furniture, and space design, blending traditional techniques with contemporary aesthetics. With over 200 global designers involved, Rong continues to explore craft heritage, with a major retrospective exhibition planned for 2026.

Morning Asia is a program series by the Heritage Museum of Asian Art that introduces artist residency programs across Asia to Chicago audiences. Through artist talks and online presentations by residency organizations, Morning Asia highlights how artists live, work, research, and create within international residency contexts. The series fosters cross-cultural exchange, supports global artistic networks, and lays the groundwork for future artist exchange opportunities between Asia and Chicago.