Qing Open Wardrobe

The choice for my inspiration field was influenced by a book about classical Chinese furniture of Weiyang from the 16th century. The author uncovered a forgotten collection of furniture, made of local zhazhen wood. Among the various pieces of this ancient collection, I was truly fascinated by this ‘Zhazhen bonsai stand’. The structure distinguishes itself for its airiness, clarity of construction and visual lightness. It also shows a peculiar hanging detail and a storing space below for gardening tools. Starting from a piece of furniture so unique and reinterpret it, it requires a lot of delicacy. Given that reproducing it from a European external perspective could lead to a Chinoiserie, I began to think about a transfer happening in terms of context. The idea is paying homage to the exotic world to which it belongs, while turning it into something compatible with the contemporary one familiar to me, which I am living in. At the same time, the target was to create an output that respected the clarity of construction, the visual lightness and the airiness of the starting reference.