New York Times consults interior design alum on feng shui

For the New York Times article “Seeking a Harmonious Life With Feng Shui,” writer Dinah Eng tapped interior design alumnus Wei Dong (MFA ’88) for his expertise on the Chinese philosophy of arranging a harmonious home. Dong, who teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, integrates traditional methods and cutting-edge technology into his work, incorporating mediums like Chinese painting with specialized software to visualize his designs.

For the last 15 years, Wei Dong, a professor in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has taken students to China on an international study abroad program that examines the concepts of feng shui.

“Feng shui is a philosophy of life,” Mr. Dong said. “Good feng shui means being in harmony with nature, or your environment, your mind and your soul. We are all searching for something beyond functionality. I use feng shui to teach art design, painting, drawing and how to live your life.”

For example, he said, if you are stressed, in feng shui terms, you have too much fire in your life, so don’t eat spicy food when you need to calm down. Water puts out fire, so seek out the tranquillity of nature and water. “If you’re stressed out, go jogging in the park,” he said.

Read the full story at The New York Times.