As a world-renowned art director for stage and film, costume designer and visual artist Tim Yip continues to explore and communicate his aesthetic concept "New Orientalism", which is his interpretation of ancient culture to inspire the future. He works widely in contemporary film, theatre, art, literature, and other creative fields. For “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, Yip won the Oscar for "Best Art Direction", becoming the first Chinese to be awarded by the Academy, and the British Film and Television Academy award for "Best Costume Design", in 2001.
Since joining his first movie "A Better Tomorrow" in 1986, Tim Yip has created sets and costumes for many films, cooperating with world famous directors such as John Woo, Ang Lee, Feng Xiaogang, Cai Mingliang, Chen Guofu, Guan Jinpeng, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Li Shaohong and more. His films include "Red Cliff", "The Banquet", "Back to 1942", "The Message", "The Promise", "Springtime in Small Town", "Ming Ghost", "Rouge", "Temptation of a Monk", “The Palace of Desire”, "Ripening Orange", "Dream of Red Mansions”, the NETFLIX television series "Marco Polo" and many other works, which embody a spirit of creativity and an atmosphere of the culture from which they have sprung, garnering much international attention and acclaim. His coming work the film series Fengshen Trilogy, the first film of which is expected to be released in 2023.
In the field of theatre, Tim Yip has collaborated with many world-renowned practitioners and groups, including Robert Wilson, Franco Dragone, Akram Khan, Zhang Yimou, Stan Lai, Yang Liping, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Contemporary Legend Theater, Legend Lin Dance Theater, Han Tang Yue Fu, Tai-Gu Tales Dance Theatre, U Theatre and more. His theatre productions include "Medea", "The Feast of Han Xizai", "The Palace of Eternal Youth", "A Dream of a Dream", "The Peacock", and "Under Siege", working with San Fransisco Opera House, Sadler's Wells Theater London, the Joyce Theater, Palais de Chaillot, Opera-Comique Paris, Opernhaus Graz Austria, Beijing National Center of Performing Arts, and Taipei National Palace Museum among many others, and participating in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Avignon Dramatic Art Festival, Le Biennale de Lyon and a number of other international arts festivals. In 2004, Tim Yip was the visual designer for the Athens Olympic Games handover ceremony to China. In 2010, he collaborated with world renowned choreographer and dancer Akram Khan as visual artist (set and costume design) for “Desh”, which won the American Bessie Award and the British Olivier Award. Yip and Khan have since collaborated on “Until the Lions”, and in 2016 with the English National Ballet on its new production of "Giselle". In September 2016, Yip designed costumes and sets for Bright Sheng’s new opera “Dream of the Red Chamber”, directed by Stan Lai, which premiered at the San Francisco Opera House and had its Asian premiere at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in March 2017 and toured in mainland China in September 2017. In 2018, Tim was visual artist (sets and costumes) for “Rite of Spring” choreographed by Yang LiPing, which had its premiere in Shanghai in 2018 and toured in the UK in 2019. Yip also worked as production & costume designer in Hong Kong Ballet’s new production “The Great Gatsby”, the opera “Beauty and Sadness” directed by Carolyn Choa & “Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise” at The Shed in New York, directed by Chen Shi-Zhen, which premiered in 2019. In 2021, he participated in the production “Creature” choreographed by Akram Khan and performed by English National Ballet as the visual artist (set and costume design). In the same year, Yip as the chief director, has his first directed stage play "Love In A Fallen City" premiered at the Shanghai Grand Theatre and toured in China. Yip was also the set and costume designer of Opera “Lohengrin” directed by François Girard. The opera had its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia in 2022 and was staged at the Metropolitan Opera House in USA in 2023.
Since 2002, Tim Yip has held special exhibitions at the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, Maison de la Culture de Bourges in France, the Royal Dutch Theater in Amsterdam, the Madrid Cultural Center in Spain, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the United States. His artistic works have also participated in the New York International Asian Art Fair and other major art events worldwide. Yip has held solo exhibitions at Beijing Today Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Beijing Three Shadows Arts Center, and Singapore Esplanade. In 2015, Yip’s short film “Kitchen” won "Best Art Direction" at the 8th ASVOFF Festival at the Pompidou Center in Paris, France. In 2016, Yip had the solo exhibition “In Parallel” at the Maison de la Culture D’Amiens in France and “Tim Yip: Reformation” at the Shanghai Power Station of Art in China. In 2017, Tim’s solo exhibition “Tim Yip: Migong” was held in Yuan Museum in Chongqing, China. In 2018 Yip created the ‘Cloud’ project which explores themes of youth, identity and environment through costume and art installation, in partnership with Southbank Centre London. This also led to his “primitive film” journey into the East London artists world. Since 2018, he has interviewed a great deal of influential artists in London include Vivienne Westwood, Gilbert & George, Stephen Jones, Andrew Logan, Daniel Lismore, Jonny Woo, Charles Saumarez Smith (former Chairman & CEO of Royal Academy of Art), Iwona Blazwick (Director of White Chapel Gallery), Diane Pernet (founder of ASVOFF), Pandemonia and many more, which ultimately become his art film “Love Infinity” - a half fiction, half documentary experience which look into human spirituality and inner freedom, leading to connecting and love. His solo exhibition “Tim Yip: Blue” at the Hong Kong Design Institute Gallery opened in November 2018. In April 2019, “Tim Yip: Mirror” was held in Beijing Today Art Museum, when Yip explored the relationships between art and science in his solo exhibition, as well as introducing his brand new concept of “Spiritual DNA” to the public. And in November the same year, Yip had his film art recollection exhibition in Art Amoy Museum, Xiamen, showcasing his most infamous creations of film, tv and theatre art pieces. In 2023, Tim Yip has participated in the Minneapolis Museum of Art exhibition "Eternal Sacrifice: Ancient Chinese Bronze Rites" as visual director.
Tim Yip has worked with M.A.C, Chow Tai Fook and other well-known commercial brands in cross-border artistic collaborations. In 2010, Yip participated in Dior’s 60th Anniversary Exhibition "Christian Dior and Chinese Artists", at the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing. That same year, he was invited by Federlingo Arredo – the Italian Wood and Furniture Association – to create an art installation of Italian furniture at the Shanghai Expo. In 2016, Yip was invited by Taiwan VOGUE to collaborate with CHANEL, directing star Gwei Lun Mei in the film “Looking for Coco Chanel”. In Sept 2016, as part of his solo exhibition "Tim Yip: Reformation", Yip was commissioned by SWAROVSKI to create the dress “Shaping”, with more than 100,000 Swarovski crystals. In June 2017, FENDI invited Yip to specially design a Peekaboo handbag for the Fendi China Peekaboo Project. In 2017, Yip was invited by VOGUE Film to create the film “L’inoubliable” starring Zhou Xun and Hu Ge. In 2018 Yip was commissioned to design the fan for Mandarin Oriental’s new hotel in Wangfujing, Beijing. Yip was invited to be the designer of Team China’s Olympic Podium Uniform in 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
In addition to visual art creations, Tim Yip has been devoted to writing for many years, with publications including “Lost in Time”, “Flower of the Wind”, “Floating”, “Connections”, “Rouge: L'Art de Tim Yip”, “GIJ ON”, “Illusions of Silence”, “Passage”, "Reformation: The Aesthetics of Tim Yip” , “Mirror” and others. His books have been translated into English, French and other languages, and were published worldwide. Yip’s latest publication is "Mirror” (simplified Chinese version).
For more information, please go to Tim Yip Studio’s official website (www.timyipstudio.com) or follow Tim Yip on Weibo, WeChat, Facebook and Instagram (timyipstime & lilili_untitled & timyip_loveinfinity)