
ZHANG, YUNFAN
(Fiona Zhang)



Yunfan is a stage designer, graphic designer, and jewellery designer who learned fine arts skills since childhood. She studied performance design in Shanghai and Hong Kong, China. She later worked as a visual designer in the Shanghai Opera House. In 2021, she completed her master of design for performance at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne.
Yunfan believes creativity marks the most valuable character in her heart. Therefore, retaining unlimited creativity is what she had always been doing. As a Chinese designer, she is deeply influenced by traditional Chinese aesthetics. The concept of "harmony" is one of the core values in Chinese aesthetics, presenting the meaning of "wholeness" and "integrality". She prefers to find the connection to make the design more integrated. For example, she is interested in using colours and materials to coordinate the set and costumes, making the story more attractive and ornamental. In addition, she supposes that design should also respect the culture of different regions. A good design requires innovation but never be isolated from culture and history. So she is on the way to realise the perfect integration of tradition and modernity by carrying out creations of traditional aesthetics and reinterpreting stories from a contemporary perspective.
Also, she is sure that art defines designers' spirit, and spirituality enriches design work. She is eager to project ideas and experiences through vision and text, helping visualise invisible things and make visible things invisible. The incredible experience in the Tibetan area enriched her spiritual world greatly and let her recognise the significant influence of art on society and culture.
EXPERIENCE
Theatre / Production
Art Director
Set Designer Assistant
Set Designer Assistant
Set Designer Assistant
Set and Costume Designer
Visual Designer/Assistant to the head of The Opera Troupe
Stage Technical Assistant
Makeup Artist Assistant
Graphic Design
Illustrator
Graphic Designer
Art and Visual Director for Financier Magazine /Art Editor
Graphic Co-Designer
Assistant Art Editor
Jewellery Design
Registered Jewellery Designer
Founder and Independent Jewellery Designer
EDUCATION
Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education
Master of Design for Performance
Bachelor of Art Design (Art Design of Performance Space)
Exchange Student
05/2023 - Film: Winter as Frida Kahlo
06/2022 - 03/2023 Ballet: Don Quixote, The Australian Ballet
12/2021 Opera: H.M.S. Pinafore, State Opera of South Australia
08/2021 - 10/2021 Play: Touching the Void, Melbourne Theatre Company
08/2021 Opera: The Coronation of Poppea VCA, The University of Melbourne
09/2013 - 08/2015 Shanghai Opera House
01/2013 Drama: No. 13 Happiness Road of the Thirteen Series
10/2011 Advertisement shooting: Pure and delicious taste from Anderson
2020 Brilliance: The Story of Fudan University
07/2018 -10/2018 Black Juice Advertisements
09/2015 -11/2016 Shanghai Far East Publisher
05/2015 Elegant Prosper/YaYing Fashion brochure for Expo Milano 2015
07/2011 - 08/2011 Shanghai Calligraphy & Painting Publishing House
07/2016 - Present Gems and Jewellery Trade Association of China
f.D Design Studio
02/2023 - 12/2023 Victorian University
02/2020 - 12/2021 Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne
09/2009 - 06/2013 Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts
09/2012 - 01/2013 Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts