Echoes of the Woods·the Sustainable Beauty of Nature
For more than a million years, since humans first walked the earth, vast forests have accompanied and nurtured us. From the philosophical concept of “harmony between man and nature” to the long held tradition of “wood cherishing,” humans have infused their understanding of nature, life, and the future into their worship of trees. In the hardwood forests of the eastern United States, under careful management and innovative processing techniques, a wide variety of temperate hardwood species have grown into a vast resource that is truly sustainable. The “Echoes of the Woods” design exhibition has been inspired by this collaboration between humans and nature.
We have selected three underutilised species from the American hardwood forests – red oak, cherry, and maple – as the primary materials for a themed creation. Flexible, stable and of a consistently high quality, these three hardwoods are abundant in the US forest resource. For this exhibition, we have invited 10 designers and artists from the worlds of product design, interiors, art and architecture to use these three types of wood to explore the connection between humans and nature, life and design. Using their distinctive styles they will providing the audience with diverse and enriched perspectives, presenting aesthetic expressions that are youthful, creative and different from the traditional.
Two of the 10 participants, product designers Zhao Yun and Wang Wanxing respectively, simulate the structural states of natural plant growth and the forms of bamboo leaves with wood, echoing the existential significance of “harmony between man and nature” in Eastern culture. Designer Tang Chengxi integrates natural forms of raw wood with handmade lacquer reflecting on contemporary Eastern thought in a circular and a square space. Zhang Zhongyu traces traditional spatial residential forms of their ethnic group, imbuing their work with meaningful structures and new cultural connotations. Interior designer Li Man magnifies specific microcosmic plant forms, combining wood with materials like iron in romantic visual expression. Young artist Lin Yanxiong, currently living in London, draws upon personal memories and narrative texts, intertwining them with bodily imagery to create functional sculptural installations. Beyond thematic expression and response, artists and architects are enthusiastic about interacting with viewers through their works on-site. Floral artist Wang Zi combines twelve floral emblems with twelve mirrors to dynamically transform space, allowing audiences to perceive the tangible and abstract forms of nature and self, thus reinterpreting the concept of time. Architect Mu Rong constructs a narrow space accessible only to one person with wood, infusing the enclosed wooden structure with a poetic warmth. Artist Zhang Min uses the three types of wood to create a magnetic assembly of staircase and door forms, playfully examining human urban living conditions. Designer Fang Yuesheng seamlessly integrates metal with natural stone spheres and solid wood veneers, creating highly decorative household ornaments. We expect that these 10 distinctly styled pieces will bring each visitor a unique experience connecting with “nature,” and immersing them in a world of wood.
Wood serves as the container and carrier of material expressions throughout the creative process. Each piece radiates a warmth derived from nature. As these works are viewed, understood, and experienced, we believe this subtle, yet pervasive warmth will quietly infiltrate the hearts of viewers. They are greetings and blessings from the distant forests, as well as a passionate response to the challenges of contemporary Eastern sustainability
—— Curator, Cooollect
Echoes of Woods | Behind the Scene (8 mins video)
Echoes of Woods | Meet the young designers and their masterpieces (111 seconds video)