Fang 方
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Fang方

Category: Furniture Design, Crafts
Measures: 15.75 × 15.75 × 15.75 in
Mediums: Burmese rosewood
Year: 2023Fang 方 is derived from the concept of fangzheng (方正), associated with uprightness and clarity. Constructed through straight lines and planar surfaces, the stool emphasizes structure, proportion, and restraint. Subtle refinements at the joints soften its geometric presence. In dialogue with Yuan 圆, Fang completes a paired understanding of form, where order and fluidity coexist as complementary principles.

Fang 方 & Yuan 圆 form a paired furniture series developed during my study of traditional Ming-style furniture making in China. Drawing on Wang Shixiang’s research on Ming furniture, the series explores how form embodies philosophical ideas rather than pure ornament. In Chinese thought, fang (square) and yuan (circle) are not opposites but complementary principles—representing order and flexibility, restraint and flow. Through two stools with contrasting geometries, this series examines how these abstract ideas are translated into bodily scale, structure, and use through craft.