Mosaic of China

The Culture Curator (Noxolo BHENGU, Ndawo Afrika)

There is a lot being said around the world these days about racism and discrimination. Quite rightly. But pointing fingers and throwing accusations often achieves nothing. The thing that changes attitudes, at a human level, is both fundamentally simple, and embarrassingly difficult. It's casual association. Being casually associated with people from different backgrounds is what leads to a genuine understanding of our commonalities, and a positive exploration of our differences.

My conversation with the South African actress, writer, theatre producer, and community organiser Noxolo Bhengu beautifully illustrates the awkward dance that takes place when opportunities for casual association are more scarce. The context of our conversation is Noxolo's work in promoting visibility of the Afro-diaspora in China. But the dialogue that follows is one that should resonate with you, no matter who or where you are. Purposeful visibility leads to casual association leads to meaningful relationships.

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Yael Farjun from Season 01 Episode 12. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-12-yael-farjun).

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
02:18 - Part 1
22:35 - Part 2
29:13 - Outro
31:15 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-14-noxolo-bhengu.

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Brand Interpreter (Vladimir DJUROVIC, LABBRAND)

When you live overseas, in some ways you take a leap into a new identity. You need to figure out how to fit into a new culture, while remaining true to your authentic self. Well, it's exactly the same story when your brand goes overseas. And when introducing your brand overseas, it's important to get the name right.

Vladimir Djurovic is an expert in this field, since he and his team at LABBRAND create Chinese names for Western brands. And it's a fascinating process that requires a basket of skills including linguistics, branding, trademarks, consulting, and semiotics. If you want to know why the Chinese for Marvel is 漫威 [Mànwēi], and LinkedIn is 领英 [Lǐngyīng], tune in to hear from the man who helped name them!

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Stephane de Montgros from Season 01 Episode 19. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-19-stephane-de-montgros).

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:27 - Part 1
19:32 - Part 2
28:59 - Outro
31:26 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-13-vladimir-djurovic.

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Aimful Architect (Wendy SAUNDERS, AIM Architecture)

Buildings, buildings, buildings. There has been a decades-long construction boom in China, and behind every building is an architect. Wendy Saunders has witnessed this boom, and as Co-Owner and Principal Architect of AIM Architecture, has created a niche in boutique design projects.

In today's episode, we hear how Wendy has teamed up with Chinese clients such as the cosmetics brand HARMAY to bring a modern European design sensibility to the consumer-centric world of retail and hospitality in China. And as you'll hear from our conversation, she has done so with a healthy dose of pragmatism and good humour.

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
00:57 - Part 1
22:34 - Part 2
31:36 - Outro

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-12-wendy-saunders.

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Solar Entrepreneur (Alex SHOER, Seeder Energy)

Personally coming from a business background where my main tools of trade have just been a laptop and a phone, I’m always impressed with people with complex and audacious business ideas. And Alex Shoer is one of those people.

In today's episode, Alex tells the story of the 'Solarcoaster' - the dramatic ups and downs of the solar industry in China over the last decade. And in this open and honest discussion, we also learn about his own personal reflections on leadership, flexibility, and the nature of business regulation in China.

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Greg Nance from Season 01 Episode 23. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-23-greg-nance).

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:51 - Part 1
17:09 - Part 2
27:51 - Outro
30:31 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-11-alex-shoer.

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Tibetan Merchant (Danma JYID, Yakma Body Care)

If there's one animal that is synonymous with the Tibetan Plateau, it's the yak. It has historically played a huge role in the diet, culture, and livelihood of the nomadic people of Tibet, and this symbiotic relationship endures until today.

My guest today is Danmajyid, who represents a new generation of Tibetans that are worldly, tech-savvy, and yet also know how to honour past traditions. Danma tells the story of how her social enterprise YAKMA is turning nutrient-rich yak milk into high-end beauty products, and the effect this is having on her Tibetan hometown.

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Gina Li from Season 01 Episode 06. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-06-gina-li).

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:43 - Part 1
20:18 - Part 2
27:44 - Outro
30:26 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-10-danma-jyid.

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Beer Boss (Sean HARMON, Duvel Moortgat)

China is the largest market in the world for beer in terms of volume. And Belgium is a country with a long history of brewing, dating back to the 12th Century. So what better guest to have on the podcast than Sean Harmon, the China head of the premium Belgian beer company Duvel Moortgat, probably best known in China for its brand Vedett.

Despite its proud status in Belgium, Duvel Moortgat started its life in China with a youthful start-up mentality, and this spirit continues to live within the DNA of its culture today. Sean talks us through this growth story, and reveals how he nowadays needs to defend his company's position in China as one of the leading brands in the increasingly competitive market for 'craft' beers.

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Simon MANETTI from Season 01 Episode 17. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-17-simon-manetti).

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
00:52 - Part 1
19:43 - Part 2
27:33 - Outro
29:49 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-09-sean-harmon.

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Handicrafts Designer (Jovana ZHANG, Rong Design Library, PINWU Design Studio)

In China, craftsmen are not always venerated as artisans. Instead, they are often denigrated as low-status workers. But there is a design team based in the Zhejiang countryside that is doing its best to turn this around, curating the myriad ancient crafts that can be found across China before they disappear, and repurposing them for modern usage.

This week's episode is with Jovana Zhang, one of the co-founders of the Rong Design Library and the PINWU Design Studio. Her's is not just a story of design inspiration, it's a story that teaches us that respecting heritage is not the same as clinging onto the past. It's about repurposing what we can learn from the past, and making it relevant to modern times.

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Roz COLEMAN from Season 01 Episode 22. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-22-roz-coleman).

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:45 - Part 1
21:56 - Part 2
28:59 - Outro
32:00 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-08-jovana-zhang.

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Performance Exhibitor (ZHANG Yuan, McaM Ming Contemporary Art Museum)

We all know what to expect in a theatre. We all know what to expect in an art gallery. But in which of these worlds does Performance Art belong?

One answer is the Ming Contemporary Art Museum (McaM) in Shanghai, and one person who can explain this world is the artist and curator, Zhang Yuan. Yuan's story also helps to paint a picture of the independent art scene in China, and the way in which performance art can convert audience members into active participants, and ultimately into a community of open-minded thinkers.

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Nick YU from Season 01 Episode 13. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-13-nick-yu).

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:06 - Part 1
19:18 - Part 2
27:02 - Outro
30:01 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-07-zhang-yuan.

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Childbirth Guru (Louise ROY, Ferguson Women’s Health)

Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding should be things that are universally understood around the world. But guess what... they're not. Societal conventions and traditions have created a disassociation between what is 'natural' and what is 'expected', leading to both cultural confusion and generational conflict.

 

In today's fascinating and eye-opening episode, we discuss these issues with Louise Roy, Director of Patient Support at Ferguson Women's Health in Shanghai. As a prenatal educator, labour doula, and lactation counsellor, Louise is perfectly placed to explain these historical trends, and analyse them within the context of the Chinese healthcare system.

 

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Astrid POGHOSYAN from Season 01 Episode 04. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-04-astrid-poghosyan).

 

 

Chapters

00:00 - Trailer & Intro

01:05 - Part 1

26:09 - Part 2

32:12 - Outro

35:35 - Catch-Up Interview

 

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-06-louise-roy.

 

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Bearded Lady (”COCOSANTI”, Drag Artist)

The art of drag, with its emphasis on exaggerated costumes and makeup, has gained mainstream popularity around the world, particularly over the last decade. And China is no exception. While drag in the West can trace its roots from Elizabethan England up to the underground queer scene of New York, drag in East Asia draws its own lineage from the Beijing Opera.

 

As one of the more prominent members of the drag queen community in Shanghai, Cocosanti joins this week’s episode of Mosaic of China to discuss the meaning of drag, her own personal journey as an artist, and the way in which drag queens can teach us all that… it’s OK to be a little weird.

 

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Sebastien Denes from Season 01 Episode 11. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-11-sebastien-denes).

 

Chapters

00:00 - Trailer & Intro

00:45 - Part 1

19:54 - Part 2

27:26 - Outro

30:42 - Catch-Up Interview

 

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-05-cocosanti.

 

Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/oscology), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).