ASIAN SOUL
Homegrown design is already a pertinent part of the ethos of Industry+, a Singapore-based production company co-founded by Yoichi Nakamuta and PC Ee. The firm has collaborated with leading local talents including Ministry of Design and WOHA, as well as internationally acclaimed designers such as Nendo. Made-in, a platform kickstarted this year, takes this initiative a step further by championing the works of emerging designers from Singapore and beyond. “We discovered many young and talented Asian creatives; most of them selfproduce their work and they have limited marketing avenues,” shares Ee, founder of Made-in. “Made-in serves as a platform to communicate and sell their work to a wider audience. We have since extended our coverage to include the rest of the world.” Ee regularly travels to furniture fairs around the world, in search of up-andcoming talents to watch. Here, he shares some of his recent discoveries:
GEOMETRIA LAMP BY SHINYA YOSHIDA
Ee appreciates the Japanese designer’s ability to combine unexpected details with simple forms; and this lamp is the perfect example of his approach. “His use of clean, geometrical lines and a touch panel almost makes one forget this object’s real function,” he says.
WEAVE FRUIT TRAY BY THINKK STUDIO
According to Ee, elements of the unexpected are part and parcel of the creative spirit of Made-in; a feature that this unique design by the Bangkok-based studio embodies. “You might be tricked into thinking that wood was actually woven to form this fruit tray,” he quips.
PERMEATED PATTERN STOOL BY JINIL PARK
Ee describes Korean designer Jinil Park as “an artist at heart”—he admires the varied textures featured in this collection, which can be used as a stool or side table. “Made in full stainless steel, this piece has a playful mix of colours and texture.”
DAUN CHAIR BY CASSIA STUDIO
Designed by Felix Sidharta of Cassia Studio, Daun is the Indonesian word for leaf, which inspired the shape of this chair’s backrest. “A combination of handcrafted details with machine manufacturing, his pieces represent the transition of furniture design and production in Indonesia today,” says Ee.
FABRIC FORMULA TEA SET BY ZHEKAI ZHANG
“He’s a designer full of curiosity,” says Ee, discussing the work of the Uk-based talent. This collection is a prime example: “Each piece of this mass-produced tea set is unique, thanks to the ingenious introduction of a piece of fabric to the slip-casting process.”
MOTH CHAIR BY JINGGOY BUENSUCESO
The Filipino visual artist and sculptor is described by Ee as being “expressive and with freedom of thought”; this chair conveys his artistic soul. “Generous and fluid in form, this wire frame armchair really blurs the boundaries between sculpture and furniture,” he says.