'Project No.1 of 2004'
Chair
Designed by Shao Fan
Beijing, China
1996
Acrylic, catalpa and elm wood
Museum No. FE 331-2005
Gift of Ms Pearl Lam

The style and positioning of classical Chinese furniture were functional in governing familial relations, and the round chair, known also as the 'tai shi. (Grand Master) chair, had an important status in the household.

As social values change, the traditional conception of furniture and their social place is eventually eroded.

In Project No.1 of 2004, a 'yuan yi' (Round Chair) is taken apart and embedded into acrylic.

The playful design captures a moment in time and values that cannot be returned to; yet the 'exploding' chair parts are no longer static and immobile, but given a sense of movement and liberation in its new form.