Vibrant Furniture Crafted from Rolls of Tracing Paper

FDT Bureau

Taiwanese designer Pao Hui Kao has introduced her inaugural solo exhibition, showcasing vibrant furniture crafted from rolls of tracing paper. Displayed at the Spazio Nobile Gallery in Brussels, the exhibition, titled 25 Seasons, Landscapes of Paper and Lacquer, presents a collection of 50 objects and paintings conceived by Kao. Know more about it on FURNITURE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (FDT).  

Among the paintings and objects, there are updated iterations of her Paper Pleats furniture series, constructed by intertwining rolls of tracing paper into honeycomb formations and immersing them in rice glue. Once solidified, these pieces, comprising benches, sideboards, stools and tables, exhibit remarkable durability.

Kao has recently devised a method of embellishing her paper structures with colour pigments and Urushi, a type of Japanese lacquer, accentuating the textured surfaces. Unlike earlier Paper Pleats works, which exude an ethereal quality, the coloured Paper Pleats pieces boast a striking graphic appearance. Kao’s colour palette includes rich hues of red and blue, alongside black, applied using a custom-made tool. According to the designer, Urushi lacquer resembles Chinese ink in its ability to create depth through successive strokes, akin to imaginary calligraphy. Rather than employing a traditional brush, the designer prefers to utilize a paper tool of her own invention to trace colour lines or paint my pieces.

Similar to the Paper Pleats series, these curved paintings are crafted by saturating crepe paper in rice glue to shape them, then overlaying successive layers of Urushi lacquer and colour pigments. One installation comprises 25 of these paintings, each showcasing hues corresponding to different seasons of the year, including an additional season beyond the standard 24, inspired by the lunisolar calendar prevalent in Asian cultures.

Image credit: Pao Hui Kao