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The simplicity & practicality of Furniture Design
Lueur by Desinere and Tinge - JP/Novia D
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Lueur by Desinere and Tinge - JP/Novia D. Rulistia
The simplicity and functionality of design were highlighted in the International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS) 2015, putting young Asian designers at the forefront of the business.
A total of 487 exhibitors from 39 countries participated in the annual fair from March 13 to 16, which was part of the second staging of Singapore Design Week.
Twenty rising Asian designers were given the center stage of the Singapore Expo Hall 4, displaying their designs in the Asian Star Showcase section.
They were chosen by the committee to participate as they were considered to have made a difference to the industry in Asia.
President of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council Ernie Koh said the rising designers were selected to present their creations at the exhibition because of their ability to commercialize their products in the global market.
'Designers sometimes have their own DNA and signatures, but sometimes the DNA is very specific to the country they are born in. So one of the important criteria is that the designs have cultural elements, but generally, they're also able to commercialize their products,' he said.
From Indonesia, three designers ' ARTM Studio by Anastasia Sulemantoro, Alvin T and Karsa by Joshua Simandjuntak ' were chosen to showcase their latest designs in the IFFS.
In the exhibition, Anastasia displayed furniture designs that were a continuation of her previous collections and were mostly made of rattan and wood.
'If we talk about Indonesia, its strength and specialty lies in the richness of rattan and wood as well as the craftsmanship of the makers. That's what I want to show through this exhibition,' she said.
For the collection displayed in the exhibition, she used an inlaid veneer technique where she played with the wood's natural colors while at the same time exploring rattan as the material of the products.
Her exploration resulted in the use of patterns in simple dining tables and shelving, giving more color to the collection and bringing festivity into a room.
ARTM Studio also exhibited a combination of metal frames wrapped in rattan in its chair and side-table
collections.
'I hope my participation in the exhibition can help Indonesia to be more acceptable, at least in the Asian markets,' said Anastasia, who participated for the first time in the IFFS under her own brand.
Thailand-based designer group Everyday Studio was also among the rising designers that participated in the event.
Founded by Siriporn Kobnithikulwong and Wuthichai Leelavoravong, the creations took inspiration from childhood experiences.
'Our design is to make every day special. We just want to bring back childhood memories, helping you remember that you used to be very fun, and when you grew up, you forgot about it,' Leelavoravong said.
One of the exhibited designs was a coffee table, called the Spinny, which was inspired by a child's spinning top.
The center part of the table remains in place, while the outer part can be rotated, allowing users to move things easily around the table.
Everyday also showcased the Swingy bar stool that features a footrest where users can swing their legs while sitting on the seat. The playfulness continued as they came up with a rocking stool that can move back and forward, and from side to side, featuring a handle that allows users to easily move it.
'The pieces are small and they will perfectly fit in the small space of a condominium,' he said.
Other Asian designers who showcased their designs in the Asian Star Showcase section were Japanese furniture designer Tomo Kimura, Jexter Lim from Singapore, Vito Selma from the Philippines, Yin Tzu-Chi from Taiwan, Francis Lye from Malaysian and Lee-Chi-wing from Hong Kong.
Aside from the Asian Star section, a lot of designers in the IFFS also showcased their simple but appealing and functional products.
One of them was Singapore-based design studio, Tizumuka, which showcased its Yodeesa stool that won the Red Dot Award in 2014.
The stools and table can be assembled easily by using a red knob that serves as a connecting part between the rubber and wooden seat and the oakwood legs.
Meanwhile, Rin Crossing from Japan also came up with a modern version of Japanese tableware and other products that used Japanese traditional materials and Japanese traditional techniques.
Its square cedar-wood masu cups, for example, are not merely sake containers, but can also be used as condiment bottles or even to hold mobile phones.
'Women usually leave lipstick marks on masu and this masu has lipstick prints on the edge to notify women to drink from that side,' Kurenai Morita from Rin Crossing said.
