A small but increasingly influential group of furniture and product designers who emphasise creativity over quantity are aiming to turn China into a hub of innovation.
Mimi Yan, editorial director of the Chinese edition of Elle Decoration magazine, says the attention that these emerging designers are attracting is well earned. 'Their work is challenging the way contemporary design from China is viewed internationally,' she says. 'The designs are original and of good quality; Chinese in essence but international in outlook.'
Shi combines international experience with a commitment to local craftsmanship, materials and influences. He has won a slew of awards for his much talked about Jun Zi chair, including the Red Dot Design Award 2010 and the German Design Council's Interior Innovation Award 2011.
'I creatively utilised bamboo to show its characteristics to the maximum,' he says.
Jun Zi's geometric shape, with its rounded, box-like frame made of bamboo slats, was inspired by a research trip to Chushan township in Taiwan's Nantou county. Shi chose bamboo because it is inexpensive, resilient, abundant and eco-friendly. 'Millions of possibilities can be tapped from such a valuable yet affordable material,' he says.