HKAPA

Professor Liu Xinglin is a renowned designer and scenographer. His epochal works, profound knowledge of the field and remarkable achievements have earned him international recognition. He is the vice president of the China Scenography Association and the chairman of the Chinese centre of the International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians, or OISTAT.

Professor Liu graduated from The Central Academy of Drama in Beijing with a bachelor’s degree in theatre design in 1982 and a master’s degree in theatre design in 1989, and is currently a professor at the same institution. Professor Liu has designed numerous productions including plays, musicals, opera, dance, different genres of Chinese traditional opera, and special events.

A seasoned professional with a global reputation, Professor Liu won the gold award in the 2009 World Stage Design competition, showcased in Seoul, and was shortlisted for set design when the World Stage Design awards next took place, in Cardiff in 2013. He was the curator of the Chinese national exhibition in 2015 at the Prague Quadrennial, the world’s largest scenography event, where he received the Honorary PQ 2015 Award for Performance Design. He has also served on the international jury of the World Stage Design awards in 2017 and the Prague Quadrennial in 2019.

He is an accomplished scenographer in the Mainland and has received hordes of accolades including the Grand Prize at the Second China Scenography Exhibition, the Stage Design Awards at the Third Term Golden Lion Award of Chinese Drama Institute, the Best Stage Design at the 6th and 7th China Theatre Festival, the Award of China Ministry of Culture, the Best Stage Design at the Beijing International Experimental Theatre Festival and Forum, the Best Stage Design at Chinese Drama Festival and the Outstanding Drama Artist Award from the Chinese Ministry of Culture in 2007 in celebration of 100th  anniversary of Chinese drama.

His 2010 Chinese-language publication Stage Design Liu Xinglin is a key set-design book that showcases a new aesthetic for scenography in the different genres of Chinese traditional opera. Drawing on years of research, he has also published a translated monograph The Memoirs of Josef Svoboda: The Secret of Theatrical Space (2016) and two Chinese monographs, 50 years of practice quadrennial (2017) and Ten notes of contemporary stage design of the world (2019).

Professor Liu is very keen to pass on his vast experience and knowledge to younger generations, working closely with the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts at the Academy. In 2020, the School invited Professor Liu to conduct a masterclass on Chinese opera design and a public seminar, both of which received very positive feedback from students, faculty members and participants. He also helped facilitate collaboration and exchange between The Central Academy of Drama in Beijing and the Academy.