Tong Guan

Current Bio:

Tong Guan was trained as an Architect in UK and Germany. She has worked in London, Paris and Frankfurt. Currently, she works as designer and technical artist for Los Angeles-based architect and artist Thom Mayne, Founder of Morphosis Architects. She investigating the philosophical intersections of impermanence and materiality, demonstrates how technology – at the frontiers of Computer language and object-creation – can reframe and readdress timeless questions at the essence of artmaking.  Tong Guan recently contributed as a technical artist to Thom Mayne's art exhibition “Shaping accident” which was showcased in a major exhibition at the LA Louver Gallery in Los Angeles.

In 2017 she worked for Jean Paul Gaultier’s fashion studio in Paris, designing interiors and fashion stage design. During her time at Jean Paul Gaultier's Interior Decor Design Department, She had the unique opportunity to blend the worlds of fashion and interior design. Drawing on Gaultier's iconic approach to bold, avant-garde aesthetics, She brought a fashion-forward sensibility to the design of spaces and textiles.

Furthermore, Tong Guan has worked as an architect at both Chapman Taylor's London office and Studio GA in Germany. During her career, she has contributed to numerous international projects, gaining valuable experience across diverse architectural practices.

In 2022 Tong moved to Los Angeles, to study for a postgraduate Fiction & Entertainment degree at Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc). For her thesis she made a film“ Paper Dream, The Surreal Shores of Belonging”. It is a 3D animated surrealistic film. The film follows a young girl as she embarks on an adventure, navigating surreal landscapes and internal conflict as she questions where she truly belongs. By combining her technical skills like 3D Modeling, animation and simulation with her unique artistic vision, she created an atmospheric film that explores a journey of self-discovery.

After graduating from SCI-Arc, Tong Guan embarked on the unique challenge of translating Coy Howard’s book The Thickening of Time into film, bringing architectural expertise and cinematic sensibility together. In this project, Tong focused on working through both the renderings and the film, capturing the intricacies of Howard's design philosophy with a particular emphasis on how architecture interacts with time. The aesthetic of the design was rooted in the fluidity of space, the subtle play of light, and the tactile quality of materials, all of which were integral to the narrative.

In the future, Tong wants to combine digital visual design with spatial design to create special immersive experiences as she continues her interest in the tensions between adventures, belonging, identity and destiny. In all her works, as architect, artist, and digital designer Tong strives to develop her own unique aesthetics in finding poetic solutions which can soothe our souls while giving us courage to continue exploring.

Email: guantong95@gmail.com