Winner of the Platinum Prize in Interior Design at the 2025 Future Art & Design Award UK (Summer Season), Taiwanese designer Tien-Bao Wang blends architectural structure with emotional storytelling. Educated at the New York Institute of Technology and shaped by professional experience in both New York’s DUMBO district and London’s boutique design scene, Wang now leads his own studio in Taiwan, creating interiors that resonate on a deeply human level.
Wang's award-winning project, SS Hair, challenges salon norms by reimagining the space as a flexible, artistic studio. Inspired by the hairstylist’s mist-dyeing techniques, Wang infused the design with the concept of fluidity—removing doors and frames, carving free-flowing passages, and layering textured walls by hand. The result is a dynamic environment where every surface carries traces of time, process, and quiet intention.
“My work begins with storytelling,” says Wang. “I’m drawn to how light, texture, and form can shape emotion without words.” His background in architecture grounds his spatial logic, while his sensitivity to mood and meaning elevates his interiors to the level of living art.
As a creative who moves between analog techniques and digital innovation, Wang believes the future of design is increasingly interdisciplinary. “Designers need to translate across platforms—mixing physical and virtual, functional and poetic. Clients want work that’s not only well-crafted but emotionally grounded.”
With SS Hair, Wang offers a compelling vision of interior design that’s not merely about space—but about experience, emotion, and the stories we carry within our environments.
Full Interview
Please give us a brief introduction about yourself and your creative background.
I am an interior designer with a background in architecture from New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). My creative path was shaped by experiences working at design firms in New York—particularly in the Brooklyn DUMBO area, where the blend of industrial textures and artistic experimentation deeply inspired me. I also spent time in London, where I joined a boutique architecture and interior firm, refining my approach to spatial storytelling. Today, I run an independent studio in Taiwan that explores the poetic side of interior design, creating spaces that balance function with quiet emotional resonance.
What inspired you to pursue a career in creative / art / design?
Growing up surrounded by stories, films, and animated worlds, I was drawn to the way space and objects can carry emotion. Studying architecture gave me a structural foundation, but it was the emotional and poetic potential of interior design that ultimately became my calling. I find joy in shaping how people feel inside a space—quietly, subconsciously, yet powerfully.
Can you describe the creative process behind your work and what motivates you to create?
My process begins with a desire to tell stories through space. I sketch atmospheres, study light, and work closely with textures before moving into architectural details. For SS Hair, I deliberately designed a space that doesn't resemble a typical salon. Instead, it serves as an open, ever-evolving studio—one that can host fashion events, shift furniture arrangements, and remain flexible in its usage. A key concept in this project is the idea of fluidity—both spatially and metaphorically—referencing the hairstylist’s specialty in mist-dyeing techniques. The flow of water became a silent muse that shaped the walls, layout, and movement within the space. I’m most motivated when a design becomes a vessel that supports someone else's creativity, just like this salon supports its owner's craft.
What was the most exciting or challenging part of creating the work you submitted to the competition?
The challenge lay in translating abstract, unconventional ideas into tangible spatial forms. I proposed a concept where the salon would eliminate doors and frames, allowing each area to flow freely into the next. To achieve this sense of openness, every passage was hand-drawn directly on-site, then carefully carved into the existing structure. The walls, too, were manually layered and textured to evoke an aged, expressive aesthetic—similar to an unfinished mural or studio backdrop. These details were time-consuming, but they added a layer of raw artistry that became central to the project’s identity.
How would you describe your creative style and the key characteristics that define your work?
My creative style exists at the intersection of art and design. I approach each space as a living canvas, balancing spatial logic with emotional resonance. I’m a designer and artist who enjoys bold experimentation, especially in reconciling contrasts: preserving the layered stories of historic buildings while introducing innovative digital techniques and contemporary forms. This tension between the old and the new often results in unexpected harmony, and it's something clients frequently say defines my work as uniquely memorable and hard to categorize.
What has been your experience participating in the competition? Were you satisfied with the process and results?
It’s been an encouraging and affirming experience. The competition platform gave my work visibility beyond the local design community, and winning the Platinum Award was a meaningful recognition. The submission process was straightforward, and I appreciated the balance of artistic freedom and professional presentation.
Where do you see the future of the art and design industry heading in the next 5-10 years?
I believe the future will be increasingly interdisciplinary. Designers will need to speak the languages of both analog and digital—merging spatial design with virtual experiences, storytelling with AI tools, and sustainability with poetic presence. There’s also a growing hunger for authenticity and emotional resonance, which gives small studios like mine the opportunity to stand out.
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