Shi Haibin, art name Mideng, was born in Gaotang, northwest Shandong, and has settled in Jinan for more than thirty years. He is a renowned designer, cross-disciplinary artist, Chinese calligrapher, seal carver, color ink painter and brand cultural designer.
He studied under Yu Maoyang, and abides by his mentor’s creed: “Brushwork shall advance with the times, and strive to create value and utility.” Rooted in calligraphy and seal carving, he delves into oriental brush art, breaking the boundary of pure painting and calligraphy, and translates the aesthetic thinking of traditional literati art into the underlying logic of brand culture.
As shared in interviews, oriental design is not a simple stack of decorative symbols, but the interpretation of inner spiritual temperament. Tradition does not equal retro, and modernity does not mean blind westernization. Quality brand design should be grounded in local culture, respond to the needs of the times, carry aesthetic quality and practical value, resonate with the market and audience. He rejects empty formal ostentation, holding that design is a practice to resolve cultural issues, and art should never be detached from real life.
For decades, he keeps two paths in parallel. He devotes himself to full-set brand design, helping local enterprises build cultural identity systems. Meanwhile, he engages in art education, exhibition judging and public cultural undertakings. Serving as off-campus master’s supervisor at Liaocheng University, he took part in judging activities and cultural exhibitions including “Meeting of Enlightenment · Five Artists Exhibition”, facilitating the integration of traditional calligraphy, seal carving, national-chic art and modern design education.
His creation covers brand design, calligraphy, seal carving, color ink painting and photography. His design works have won multiple professional awards and been included in authoritative publications such as Asia Pacific Design Annual. His calligraphy and seal works have been exhibited widely. He keeps exploring new ways for traditional brush art to speak in a contemporary context.
Shi Haibin