Guest editor: Xu Jinglei

Guest editor: Xu Jinglei
(Image credit: press)

To coincide with the launch of our current guest editors issue (W*115) - featuring curated sections by creative stars Zaha Hadid, Rei Kawakubo and Louise Bourgeois - we're handing over the reins here at wallpaper.com (well, partially anyway) to a star of a slightly different ilk.

It's no surprise that amidst its unprecedented economic and social reawakening, China is fast becoming one of the planet's most dynamic creative powerhouses. What better way to experience that first-hand - and get suitably inspired - than to partner with one of that country's biggest names, the actress-writer-director Xu Jinglei.

With over a dozen films under her belt and a slew of accolades for everything from acting and directing (Spanish Film Festival award for 'Letter From an Unknown Woman') to fashion (MTV Style) and writing (Best Selling Author nod by the China Critic Press), she's already one of China's hottest young stars, ranked recently by Forbes as the 12th most powerful celebrity in the country.

Over the next four weeks she'll be selecting some of China's most fascinating creatives - from the lead singer of one of the country's biggest bands, to a young photographer capturing the zeitgeist of a new and empowered generation - profiling one a week with interviews, articles and galleries.

Needless to say we're expecting a feast. As publisher of the hugely successful culture e-mag Kaila, and author of one of the world's highest-read blogs, which to date has received over 100 million hits, her finger is squarely on Beijing's creative pulse - a worthy addition this month to the wallpaper.com family.