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#NTUDEGREESHOW Spotlight: Jan Farn Chi

This week's Spotlight piece features BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design student Jan Farn Chi.

Jan Farn, Elaps, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design, 2019
Jan Farn Chi, Elaps, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design

In the run-up to the Art and Design Degree Show, we will be sharing a series of student projects from across the 26 participating courses through #NTUDEGREESHOW Spotlights.

Elaps

‘The Earth turns and the Sun abides, making all who follow arise. As noon shines brightest upon our lives, the dark collects tightly beneath. As dusk lays its wreath, the shade grows longer into the ephemeral passing. And still, it moves.’

Jan Farn, Elaps, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design, 2019
Jan Farn Chi, Elaps, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design

Elaps represents the serendipitous events the designer sees every day - a communication between natural light and stretching darkness while time is passing. The idea came from the shadow created by natural light through the windows and venetian blinds, which always attracted my attention. I set out to record the atmosphere and surroundings changing at home, while time passes and light crosses naturally along the day.

There is a sort of spectacular magic, which performs like a response to the nature of the Earth. This serendipity stimulates me every day, and I want to share this beauty with people.

Through my daily meditations and experimentation, I discovered the magic of the shadow and the subtle effects that I want to bring to the audiences. I then formed my design of the furniture based on the shapes and shadows discovered, and further developed this by embracing glass and its interaction with light. The choice to create free-standing furniture was to give Elaps a wide stage that allows the scene to unfold and perform in the whole space without obstructions.

Elaps shown as a centrepiece table, performs as a radiant gnomon throughout the day. As time marches forever onwards and the natural light scatters, the shadow and aura flow through an ever changing display creating a unique atmosphere.

I want to have something constantly and unconsciously moving; a strong colour, a changing surrounding, and an atmosphere; then, a breathless moment. There is nothing prettier than glass communicating with natural light and conveying the experience. The transparent medium just purely transfers the message from the Earth and the Sun.

Jan Farn Chi

Find out more about the BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design Degree Show here.

Published on 7 June 2019
  • Subject area: Architecture and civil engineering
  • Category: Current students; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment