With her Bamboo Mood living room collection for Roche Bobois and a takeover of the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris, Jiang Qiong Er has had a momentous year. The artist–designer, who also co-founded the luxury craft brand Shang Xia with Hermès in 2009, has developed a philosophy of how to integrate culture — specifically her Chinese culture — into design.
“When it’s physically present as a real visual element, it’s limited by time. What I try to bring is the spiritual dialogue,” she says. “It could be a style, a philosophy, a proportion, a kind of emotion. It could be the sensibility when the wind blows on you. It’s abstract and therefore timeless.” We spoke with Qiong Er about three of the sources of inspiration...
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Through her work, the designer honours the craft and spiritual customs of her heritage.