Kun
Chair
1996 (designed), 2004 (made)
1996 (designed), 2004 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The 1990s for China were a transitional period, moving from the traditional to the modern; this was also a period marked by anxiety. This chair captures the tension between tradition and modernity. The antique chair parts are counterbalanced with a new frame, meeting but never arriving at fusion, reflecting the contrasts between old lifestyles and new contexts.
Shao Fan is a sculptor and painter who freely experiments with various media. His name is often immediately associated with his reconstructed, or rather, deconstructed Chairs (?) series of 1996 of which this a part.
The Chinese character 'kun' conveys many meanings and in this chair Shao Fan plays extensively with these. The character 'kun' is a frame which contains wood, and this is played up in the design. The word also signifies being trapped, or a sense of being troubled, hinting at the mood of the times.
Shao Fan is a sculptor and painter who freely experiments with various media. His name is often immediately associated with his reconstructed, or rather, deconstructed Chairs (?) series of 1996 of which this a part.
The Chinese character 'kun' conveys many meanings and in this chair Shao Fan plays extensively with these. The character 'kun' is a frame which contains wood, and this is played up in the design. The word also signifies being trapped, or a sense of being troubled, hinting at the mood of the times.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Kun (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | MDF with catalpa and Chinese elm wood |
| Brief description | 'Kun' chair, MDF with catalpa and Chinese elm wood, designed in 1996 and made in 2004 by Shao Fan, Beijing. |
| Physical description | Chair made of joined MDF and wooden parts. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Copy number | 1/12 |
| Credit line | Given by Pearl Lam |
| Summary | The 1990s for China were a transitional period, moving from the traditional to the modern; this was also a period marked by anxiety. This chair captures the tension between tradition and modernity. The antique chair parts are counterbalanced with a new frame, meeting but never arriving at fusion, reflecting the contrasts between old lifestyles and new contexts. Shao Fan is a sculptor and painter who freely experiments with various media. His name is often immediately associated with his reconstructed, or rather, deconstructed Chairs (?) series of 1996 of which this a part. The Chinese character 'kun' conveys many meanings and in this chair Shao Fan plays extensively with these. The character 'kun' is a frame which contains wood, and this is played up in the design. The word also signifies being trapped, or a sense of being troubled, hinting at the mood of the times. |
| Other number | S9608 - serial number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.330-2005 |
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| Record created | December 23, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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