5 unmissable highlights from Design Shanghai 2026

Peter Martin

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The 13th edition of Asia’s pre-eminent design showcase returned to Shanghai with a dazzling exploration of the future of design. Here are the standout themes and exhibits from this year’s show.

Returning to the Shanghai Exhibition Centre for its 13th edition, Design Shanghai 2026 unveiled a curated mix of design, furniture, art, craft and experiences that fully justified its global reputation for innovation, panache, and a keen awareness of the vital convening role that design can play. “We have come to appreciate that design’s true value lies not in grand statements, but in its ability to resonate with people, bringing comfort, inclusivity, and a better quality of life,” says show director Zhuo Tan. It’s an ethos that grows more evident each year, with a stunning yet nuanced offering that created a bridge between emerging Chinese design talent and a global audience, and between global designers and Chinese artisanal traditions such as the ceramic industry of JDZ.

A series of five abstract panels featuring a blend of textured gold and muted colours, set against a dark background with a subtle mist.
Two modern floor lamps and a pendant light against a textured green wall.
Design Shanghai 2026 highlights included Yamato at Beyond Craft and Flow Light by Junwang at TALENTS (Images courtesy of Design Shanghai)

While exceptional exhibitions from Europe included Roche Bobois – who brought a brilliant blend of classic French design with a colourful post-modern 1980s sensibility – one of the joys of Design Shanghai is the opportunity to encounter works such as Junhyeok Oh’s Hugo Design and its stripped-back, elegant tubular furniture; or the pop art-meets-traditional artisanship of Mingyu Xu. The show’s TALENTS exhibition, curated by designer Frank Chou, underscored an ongoing commitment to emerging designers, all under the age of 35, with this year’s theme being an exploration of “the multidimensional meaning of time”. Concurrent with the fair, Design in the City reached beyond the Shanghai Exhibition Centre to a range of happenings, workshops and installations in over 100 locations throughout the city.

A modern living room display featuring red walls, abstract sculptures, and an artwork depicting two figures with a mountainous background.
RE-ART Room at Collectible Design & Art at Design Shanghai 2026 (Images courtesy of Design Shanghai)

“At Design Shanghai, we aim to respond to genuine needs, exploring, with the public, new ways of living that are high-quality and in harmony with nature,” says Zhuo Tan. “We also hope to help Chinese design step confidently onto a broader global stage.” Here are five stand-outs from this year’s show:

1. Collectible Design & Art

Modern chair with a chrome frame and wooden seat, set against a blue background.
A stylish pendant light featuring layered circular shades in vibrant colours, including yellow, orange, purple, and blue, with a decorative perforated design.
(left) Hugo Design and (right) Mingyu Xu at Collectible Design & Art, Design Shanghai 2026 (Images courtesy of Design Shanghai)

Launched last year and returning for 2026 was Collectible Design & Art. First introduced in 2015, show director Zhuo Tan says that the concept of functional design as art was not, at the time, such a familiar concept to Chinese audiences, and it was discontinued. Things are very different now, with a new generation of Chinese designers embracing the métier with exceptional skill, together with a homegrown appetite for collectible design from across the world. This year’s notable highlights included the neo-Bauhaus elegance of Hugo Design and Mingyu Xu studio.

2. Contemporary Brilliance

A woman in a black one-shoulder dress stands beside a modern garment rack, holding a white shirt.
A modern audio cabinet featuring three circular displays, showcasing vintage photographs, set against a textured grey wall. A sleek black stool is nearby.
(left) Planet Rack and (right) Record Cabinet by Shanghai-based 12h at Design Shanghai 2026 (Images courtesy of Design Shanghai)

There were examples of contemporary brilliance throughout the show, but some particularly notable examples included Record Cabinet by the Shanghai-based studio 12h. Steeped in mid-century influences and carved from solid wood, it’s an example of what the studio describes as their “slow design” approach. For all the same reasons, it’s hard not to love the Planet Rack, also by 12h.

Also deserving of note was the beautifully composed RE-ART Room at Collectible Design & Art, with a brilliant panelled-light ceiling – like an inversion of the iconic bedroom in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

3. Beyond Craft

Abstract artwork featuring flowing white lines on a dark background, creating a sense of movement and rhythm.
Silhouettes of flowers in various vases against a bright background, reflecting on a glossy surface.
(left) Kyoraku Kougei and (right) Asia Color Trend Book at Design Shanghai 2026 (Images courtesy of Design Shanghai)

Now in its third year, Beyond Craft took a similar – though wider – ethos to that of Made in JDZ, exploring the contemporary value of traditional craftsmanship, and how it can evolve and thrive in today’s design landscape – with an aesthetic focus on “the beauty of Asia”. Highlights included Lucent (pictured top), Japanese artist Kyoraku Kougei and the studio Yamato Asia Colour Trend Book. It was a beautifully curated exhibition that spanned traditional techniques such as Nishijin-ori weaving, gold leaf application, lacquer art, washi paper, braided cords, ceramics, glass engraving and metal inlay. 

4. Made in JDZ

A grid of white cups arranged neatly, each with brightly coloured handles of varying shapes and sizes.
Nearby Ceramic Art Studio at Made in JDZ, Design Shanghai 2026 (Images courtesy of Design Shanghai)

Curated by designer Ran Xiangfei, Made in JDZ was a celebration of the traditional ceramics, metalwork, and lacquer art of Jingdezhen, and an exploration of how the region’s heritage and virtuosity can be harnessed for the contemporary design landscape. “Traditional craft exhibitions often emphasise the technical height of craft itself, whereas Made in JDZ focuses more on an attitude – how craft can sustain itself, revive, and enter everyday life,” says Xiangfei. “We aim to present contemporary expressions by Chinese designers, artisans, and brands rooted in traditional craft. It sounds simple, but it is extremely difficult to calibrate.” Standouts included Nearby Ceramic Art Studio – whose work has a fashionably post-modern 1980s vibe.

5. Kitchen, Bathroom & Systems Design 

A modern kitchen featuring a large, stylish refrigerator with open doors, showcasing various food and drink items inside, alongside a sleek bar with stools and a staircase in the background.
A stylish interior view of a modern dining area featuring a dark wooden table, a bowl of fruit, a chair, and a large artwork on the wall. Natural light filters through blinds, highlighting the textured walls.
A modern swivel chair with a patterned fabric seat, set against a neutral-toned wall and a large abstract artwork.
European designers at Kitchen, Bathroom & Systems Design included (top) Leibherr, (left) Tassani and (right) VIPP (Images courtesy of Design Shanghai)

This year’s Design Shanghai consisted of four sectors, one of which was titled Kitchen, Bathroom & Systems Design – and it included a superlative collection of interesting European design studios and manufacturers, including Switzerland’s Leibherr, Italy’s Tassani and Denmark’s VIPP

Design Shanghai ran from 19-22 March 2026 at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, China