Yuan 圆Prev
YUAN 圆

Category: Furniture Design, Crafts
Measures: 15.75 × 15.75 × 15.75 in
Mediums: Burmese rosewood
Year: 2023

Yuan 圆 takes inspiration from the Ming-style gǔ tuǐ péng yá (鼓腿彭牙) form, defined by swelling legs and softened transitions. Shaped through continuous curves rather than strict geometry, the stool balances stability with flexibility. It approaches roundness as a quality of moderation and quiet adaptability. In dialogue with Fang 方, Yuan forms part of a paired understanding of the world, where balance emerges through complementarity.

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.