Lian C. Ng
Lian Ng started his career in 1990 as a graphic designer in Seattle, Washington. Past employers included design agencies such as Hornall Anderson Design in Seattle and Cahan & Associates in San Francisco. Since 2000, Ng has freelance for design firms such as Character, Turner & Associates, Turner Duckworth, Eleven, as well as in-house art director for Restoration Hardware. Throughout his career, Lian has worked with brands such as Starbucks, Levi’s, Kohler, K2 Skis and Nike. His experience ranges from print, packaging, retail graphics to environmental design. Ng’s work has been recognized internationally and is in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. His work has been published in both trade and consumer magazines, including Communication Arts, Type Directors Club Annuals, ID Magazine, Print, How Magazine, as well as books such as Paper Perfect, Paper Craft and Tangible. In addition to his wide range of professional experience and clients, Ng also runs an online store—Publique Living. As of 2009, Lian has started to revive his interest in the fine arts, specifically in print making, such as screen printing, letterpress, intaglio and relief printing, as well as sculptural ceramic.
Influenced by his background in both Mathematics and Computer Science, Lian Ng’s art and design often incorporates mathematical algorithms, as well as typography or architectural references. His interest in pattern generation based on a given set of criteria has been a recurring theme in his art, often resulting in works that show elements being expanded and manipulated to create systems where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Ng is also fascinated by the naturally recurring pattern, or texture, that is non-repeating but influenced by the environment—such as wood grain, or the crystallization process. A current point of interest is how time affects the generation of patterns. In addition, Ng is also obsessed with detailed alignment and finds it hard to place anything down randomly without a precise and calculated move. Ng’s work has an underlying formal structure but still maintains a sense of organic fluidity by his use of color, texture and composition.
