Fang Yuan African Mahogany, 2022
38”x14”x17.25”
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Fang Yuan is a combination of a Chinese saying and Western joinery. The hidden floating tenons and the two rabbet joints allow the bench to stand and form a circulation.
Tian-Yuan-Di-Fang (rounded sky and squared Earth) is an old Chinese saying. In Chinese culture, round means open and absorbing; square means closed and giving. The bench top corresponds to the rounded sky; the supporting structure represents the squared Earth.
The design is not actively welcoming interaction. You are initiating the circulation by sitting on the bench. Your body completes the circulation.