NaiHan Li

Lingzhi Table

This object listing has been archived.

Previously shown at Basel 2022.

Any questions? Contact a design specialist.

At Design Miami/, our Design Specialists are here to assist with all your design needs.

Description/

In Chinese mythology, Lingzhi is the magic fungi of resurrection. Its swirling form traditionally symbolized longevity and fulfillment and was adapted into various decorative objects to offer well-wishes. Naihan Li found the Lingzhi form to be a perfect match for the low-rise table in today’s interior setting. In this “100% All-Natural” series, Naihan Li wishes to bring the traditional Chinese motive of turning organic forms into household objects to a contemporary setting. The work is digitally modeled, sculpted by robotic arms, and reinforced by carbon fiber. The lacquer technique gives the surface an organic texture, and the pure gold leaf application forms a luxurious yet purely organic shell, only made possible by bonding gold with lacquer.

Materials: Carbon Fiber, Chinese Lacquer, Black Marble.

NaiHan Li

designer

Jingjing Naihan Li is an architect-turned-furniture-designer whose works reflect what she calls “the moody impracticality of globe-trotting.” Li studied design and architecture at London’s Bartlett School of Architecture, and early on in her career collaborated on a design project with the renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Her best-known series, titled “The CRATES,” was inspired by the shipping crates used for transporting artwork and her own experience living in “Beijing’s shifting urban playground where industrial and artist spaces are quickly discovered and soon destroyed,” as she says. The works in “The CRATES” are modular items of everyday furniture—such as bookshelves, beds, and armchairs—that fold up into compact crates for easy transportation. The series was nominated for the 2012 Design of the Year Award by the Design Museum in London. Li has also produced design projects in collaboration with Swarovski and the Gwangju Biennial, among others.