Henry Steiner on his graphic design journey as seen in his M+ retrospective

“People ask me what my favourite project is, and I say, the next one. And I mean that.”

— Henry Steiner

This statement could perhaps be the most succinct summation of Henry Steiner’s unrelenting zeal for his craft as a graphic designer, even as he is well into the sixth decade of his career. A supreme creator of images, whose mastery of visual communication has created a multitude of memorable brand identities, Steiner’s reputation as the “Father of Graphic Design in Hong Kong,” certainly cannot be understated when looking at his many contributions to the city’s lifestyle and culture. Since founding his brand consultancy, Steiner&Co., his creative output has left a mark on several facets of urban life in Hong Kong, ranging from the corporate identities of the city’s promotional campaigns, landmarks, hotels and financial institutions, to brand designs for consumer products and cultural spaces.

Chronologically sifting through his archive of work, it takes little effort to notice how his designs have played an instrumental part in the parallel evolution of Hong Kong’s visual culture over the past few decades and an ongoing design exhibition at the M+ museum is now attempting to link up these intertwined narratives. Combining pieces from Steiner’s personal archives as well as M+’s own collection, Henry Steiner: The Art of Graphic Communication, is displaying over 200 works from the graphic designer’s oeuvre at the museum’s Cissy Pui-Lai Pao and Shinichiro Watari Galleries.

Running from June 15 – November 10, 2024, the solo exhibition is curated by Tina Pang, the Curator of Hong Kong Visual Culture at M+, alongside Dr Vennes Cheng, Associate Curator of Hong Kong Visual Culture, with assistance from M+ Curatorial Assistant Lok Wong and intern Ron Cheng. As the second monographic presentation in the Pao-Watari exhibition series at M+, Henry Steiner: The Art of Graphic Communication consists of two sections, with the first among them, covering Steiner’s early life in Austria, his youth in the United States as well as his academic pursuits at the Yale School of Art, until finally shifting focus to the beginnings of his career and arrival in Hong Kong while employed by The Asia Magazine in 1961.

As someone who was trained as a designer in the West, Steiner brought a unique cross-cultural perspective to the art of graphic communication, imbuing his work with shades of playfulness, visual clarity, contrasts between cultural elements and the capacity to subvert expectations. In a way, his arrival in Hong Kong was almost perfectly timed given the mid-20^th century economic boom that struck the region, sparking its rise to a major global financial centre.

The subsequent segment of the showcase shifts focus from Steiner’s own story to the changes in Hong Kong’s visual culture that were brought forth through his work. All these transformations are embodied in the commissions he undertook for prominent local brands, institutions, and organisations in the past, which many Hong Kong residents and tourists alike, would have interacted with either knowingly or unknowingly. Within the context of the exhibition, the curatorial team has also included items from the Henry Steiner Project Archive at M+, which collectively illuminate how the progression of Steiner’s graphic design work mirrors the development of Hong Kong’s urban milieu.

Steiner’s most acclaimed designs include globally-recognisable corporate identities such as that of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), as well as the design of the city’s Standard Chartered bank notes. In addition, he has also worked on branding for major hospitality spaces in the city such as the Hong Kong Hilton Hotel and the I Club, as well as commercial buildings like Jardine House (formerly the Connaught Centre), alongside the Ocean Terminal.

These achievements are but a few of the highlights featured in the M+ retrospective, which dives deep into Steiner’s career through a curated display of projects that were pre-eminent in both the region’s graphic design industry, as well as in the process of shaping Hong Kong’s global image. Seated in his Hong Kong office, during a Zoom conversation with STIR, Steiner’s joviality and unbridled enthusiasm for his chosen vocation shine through above all else, as he recounts the milestones that have guided his career trajectory while issuing words of wisdom gained through years of honing his craft.

Henry Steiner: The Art of Graphic Communication is on view at M+ until November 10, 2024.

Tap on the cover to see the full conversation.