NTCRI serves a taste of evolved taiwanese crafts at maison et objet 2022

The Evolution Theory of Taiwanese Craftsmanship

from the fibers of timber and bamboo, taiwan-designed tea wares, lamps and furniture made with local materials fill the room with a fresh scent at maison et objet spring 2022. the national taiwan craft research and development institute (NTCRI) sets up the ‘taste of the forest’ exhibition showcasing the diverse and unrestrained contemporary craftsmanship of the country, with the aim of showing the decline of the domestically produced materials and artistry in the face of globalization.

desktop cabinet ‘virtuality and reality’ made with cedar and taiwania cryptomerioides

all images courtesy of national taiwan craft research and development institute

Reexploring Local Materials as a Restart of Taiwanese Crafting

through the power of design, NTCRI introduces a collaborative network between craft, art, design, and technology to lead another evolution of craftsmanship in taiwan. together with several wood creators who took part in the maison & objet and more (MOM) online exhibition 2021, the ‘taste of the forest’ fair features the reproduction of their designs using local bamboo and timber. the 2022 versions of the works strike a balance between the authenticity of crafts and the standardization of mass production.

inspired by weaving machines, ‘cherish memories’ chair has a seat woven with soft thread

Craft Works with an authentic Taste of Taiwanese Flavor

the eleven exhibits consist of seven featured designs made using timber and bamboo, and two ceramic digital works that are perfect examples of taiwan’s vibrant and diverse energy. additionally, two fiber pieces are created through a collaboration with french artists.

the products include four reproductions of MOM exhibits using taiwanese timber. originally made with ash and walnut wood, the rattan-faced wooden bench ‘TYLC‘ designed by yang tzu hsien is re-created with bead tree and mahogany and can be used both as a bench as well as a porch screen. the ‘cherish memories‘ chair by in jing teng materializes the image of weaving, as it is crafted with taiwanese bead tree and mahogany replacing the original belian wood. for his ‘gray‘ multifunctional bench, designer hsu chan wei works with cedar, as opposed to the previous version in white oak. bringing waste to life, hong yong siang recycles an old wooden door to put together the red brass-framed ‘tea tray‘.

bench ‘gray’ is made with fragrant cedar, giving off subtle scents when in touch with water or moist weather

still in taiwanese bamboo and timber, three exhibits are making their first appearance in 2022. the first, is the dark colored taiwan acacia and light-colored bead tree ‘booboo chair‘ by chang cheng kai. the armrest and backrest are turned into toy car rails for children to play, following a wood bending technique. with delicate lace illustrations of local plants, desktop cabinet ‘virtuality and reality‘ by sunny chung is made with cedar and taiwania cryptomerioides. moreover, the same artist collaborates with general veneer laminated corp., putting together ‘harmony marquetry walldeco‘ as a set of of dynamic and intricate geometries in taiwan acacia and cryptomeria.

to complete the exhibition, students from école boulle, france, collaborated with taiwanese craft creators for the ‘light house floor lamp‘ and ‘HUBLOT‘. fabricated with the fiber of paper mulberry and penang, the traditional yet modern lamp and screen really impress with their mild textures and rich narratives. ‘impact‘, solely designed by ceramist chen chiung ju, and ‘sake bottles‘ in collaboration with digital maker li jian you, are created using cutting-edge technologies. through of parametric design and 3D printing, the detailed shapes, texture changes and mosaics are achieved in ways that traditional ceramic techniques would not have allowed.

rattan-faced wooden bench ‘TYLC’ can transform into a translucent porch screen when turned upright