jeff dayu shi forms bamboo music room for chinese musician feng mantian

jeff dayu shi forms bamboo music room for chinese musician feng mantian
image © designboom

when chinese musician feng mantian first struck a few chrods of his ruan-xian (a traditional chinese string instrument) in the office of designer jeff dayu shi (founder of dragonfly design center), shi was immediately captured by the historically elegant, yet rhythmic melody it produced. the musical object bears a quintessentially chinese sound, but also plays up-tempo rhythms typical of western music. this dichotomy between old and new, history and modernity is not unlike shi’s own design philosophy, which emits a clearly chinese creative stance, but is simultaneously heavily influenced by his westernized design techniques.

moved by the music, shi decided to design a room specifically for mantian’s use, complete with a series of objects that not only fulfill the requirements of professional musicians, but also help promote artistic expression. the set has been been presented alongside shi’s lifestyle collections for the exhibition ‘the enlightenment of tea, bamboo & music’ during beijing design week 2015 at the city’s ullens center for contemporary art.

jeff dayu shi’s bamboo music room series for chinese musician feng mantian (in mandarin language)

for expo milan 2015, mr. su dan of tsinghua university academy of arts & design invited feng mantian to play the ruan-xian at the official opening dance. for the occasion, shi created two bamboo chairs – the first ever tailor designed and made specifically for a professional musician.

chairs ‘man feng’ and ‘man kong’ are hand-made with 100% bamboo, with the application of traditional tenon and mortise joints as their prominent structure. referring to chinese traditional folding chairs from the ming dynasty, the two seats are collapsible, providing portability and convenience for feng’s touring requirements. the spine of ‘man feng’ (wind) is shaped like the instrument’s strings, extending upwards; ‘man kong’ (emptiness) symbolizes a martial artist in a static stance position, building up to internal strength and mental clarity.

the collection of bamboo music furniture presented during beijing design week
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the two seats are designed specifically for feng’s height and weight, so his arms can sway freely and both feet can fall naturally apart and firmly on ground. correct sitting posture allows the musician to remain relaxed while performing, sitting upright with sufficient back and waist support as he positions himself around the instrument. symbolic armrests complete the overall appearance of a the folding chairs, yet are concise enough that they do not constrain movement while performing. an added foot pedal has been designed as a personal request, where feng can place his foot during up-tempo power play.

‘jia ruan xian’ has been designed specifically to suit the traditional instrument
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designed as side table to complement the chairs, the ‘zhuo ruan xian’ is 100% bamboo-made and follows the same design language as traditional seats from the ming dynasty. the legs of table criss-cross, and are detachable from the tabletop. it is light in weight and easily transportable – a key requirement for touring musicians. the top maintains a rectangular shape, is smooth-to-touch and radiates the classic elegance of chinese furniture.

two chairs are presented alongside a small bamboo table
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informed by the romantic quality of the ruan-xian’s music, ‘jia ruan xian’ has been designed specifically to hold the traditional instrument. made with bamboo, ‘jia ruan xian’ displays the versatile qualities of the material — it is solidly structured to withhold weight, and bears a curved, ‘U’ shaped loop along its body. an adjustable base frame accommodates different sizes and dimensions of a ruan-xian, yet it appears refined and fluid, as if its expressive music is transformed into a fixture, with its music lingering in the atmosphere.

an adjustable base frame accommodates different sizes and dimensions of a ruan-xian
image © designboom