Tim Yip Kam-tim (葉錦添) (1967-) is a Hong Kong artist credited with originating the “New Orientalism” aesthetic.  He works across the spectrum of visual and contemporary art, costume design, and production design.  Since his first film, A Better Tomorrow (1986), he has worked with several internationally acclaimed directors, including Ang Lee, for whose film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Yip won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction (2000) and a British Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for Best Costume Design (2000).

In addition to film, Yip has designed for several Taiwan theatrical troupes, including Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Tai-Gu Tales Dance Theatre, and Han Tang Yue-fu Dance Ensemble, with performances that have toured around the world.  He was the art and costume director for the hand-off performance at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, when the torch was passed to Beijing (host to the 2008 Olympics) during the closing ceremonies.

His costume and photography exhibits have contributed to Western understanding of his design aesthetic and the beauty he sees in Chinese art and culture.  His publications include Flower in the Wind, Lost in Time, Passage, and Illusions of Silence, among others.

He makes his San Francisco Opera debut as production designer for Dream of the Red Chamber.

Other members of the production team:

John Wong, projection designer

Multimedia artist John Wong is making his American and San Francisco Opera debuts with this world premiere production of Dream of the Red Chamber. Known for his work in theater productions and concerts in his native Hong Kong, Wong is the executive creative director and CEO of the commercial design company dontbelieveinstyle. Selected theater projects include Stan Lai’s Like Shadows, Light Years, and Writing in Water; Danny Yung’s Flee By Night, The Outcast General and Tears of Barren Hill; Zuni Icosahedron’s Hua-Yen Sutra, 1587: A Year of No Significance, and 8 Springs; Edward Lam Dance Theatre’s What is Sex?, What is Success?, Awakening, What is Fantasy?, What is Man?, and A Lover’s Discourse; Dadawa’s Hear the World; and Yang Liping’s Peacock.

Gary Marder, lighting designer

Resident lighting designer for San Francisco Opera, Gary Marder made his Company debut in Mefistofele in 2013 and his lighting designs were seen in this current season’s Luisa Miller, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia and, prior to that, in Susannah, Un Ballo in Maschera, Tosca, La Cenerentola, and Le Nozze di Figaro. His work has been seen at venues across the globe, including The Magic Flute in Sydney; La Traviata at Turin’s Teatro Regio as well as in Tokyo; The Makropulos Case and Samson et Dalila at Houston Grand Opera; Samson et Dalila, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Carmen, Peter Grimes, Un Ballo in Maschera, and Norma at San Diego Opera; Dialogues des Carmélites at Palm Beach Opera; La Clemenza di Tito in Toronto; Tosca at Opera New Jersey; and Aida and Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Dallas Opera. Marder served as assistant resident lighting designer for the Metropolitan Opera for twelve seasons and associate resident lighting designer at New York City Opera for five years. His work appears next summer in the Company’s Don Carlo.

Sneak Peek: Costumes for Male Characters

Sneak Peek: Costumes for Female Characters

Sneak Peek: Production Design Sketches 1

Sets, lighting, and video projection are all elements of the production design.  Under the direction of production designer Tim Yip, John Wong, projection designer, produced these preliminary visuals that incorporate projected images into the set design.

Sneak Peek: Production Design Sketches 2

Sets, lighting, and video projection are all elements of the production design.  Under the direction of production designer Tim Yip, John Wong, projection designer, produced these preliminary visuals that incorporate projected images into the set design.

The Artists who Performed in the San Francisco Premiere