MING CHAIR - The “Seat for T.†range includes the iconic GREEN T. Ming Chair, made of ebony stained Chinese hardwood with a startlingly high back of 2.31 metres. It is built without nails and inspired by the “harmony and perfection†of classic Ming dynasty furniture. The often playful and whimsical nature of JinRs design takes this classical pieces and adds a New-China twist or better “stretchâ€.
WU CHAIR - The ancient story goes:
In the South County
A bird did not fly
and did not sing
for three years.
People said
“useless birdâ€.
Three years without flying,
it crossed the sky like
lightning.
Three years without singing,
it amazed all listening ears.
The Wu chair is one of
JinR’s first and most
compelling designs for
GREEN T. HOUSE. It
is a chair of great spirit,
representing awakening and
comprehension æ‚Ÿ (wu).
Like the bird in the ancient
story, it is gathers its energies
as it works its way up to the
Perfect Moment of release.
The back, with its thick
knob base and elegantly
curved line, is the ultimate
calligraphy brush stroke,
incarnating the purest Qi.
The form of the line ascends
like the sound of ancient
music disappearing in the
wind, and breaks with
such lightness that it seems
endless. JinR views it like
the soul, ever seeking to rise
towards higher spheres.
This chair is with arms:
one long and one short.
Symbolizing the Spirit itself
- when a body passes away it
loses some weight, said to be
that of the Spirit leaving the
body and elevating itself.
THERE IS NO CHAIR - GUAN MAO "Official's Hat" CHAIR - Fascinating and strikingly beautiful, a transparent Song period Guan Mao Chair in clear acrylic. The design dates back to the Eastern Zhou period (circa 500B.C.) and came to its beautiful maturity in the Song Dynasty where it was a symbol of high status in a society that mostly sat on mats. The Guan Mao Chair or Official's Hat chair is so called because of the resemblance of the crest rail with the hat worn by certain officials during the Song dynasty. Perhaps the purest expression of her design philosophy. The THERE IS NO CHAIR series reflects JinR's love of Chinese design history but at the same time shows her desire to move this Chinese aesthetic culture beyond stereotypes into the contemporary global arena and thus into the future.
The collection plays on the relationship between spirit and physicality, the almost absent chair challenges our own vision and gives thought to that which is beyond that we can simply see.
"Because we do not see does not mean it is not there. It’s the illusionary nature or our so called reality" JinR philosophies.
THERE IS NO CHAIR - TRANSPARENT QUAN CHAIR -
The “Quan Chair†was the second design of the transparent “There is no Chairâ€
series. The “Quanâ€, or Round-Backed Armchair the most splendid of classical Ming furniture which, using clean-cut lines and fine production skill, creates the ultimate balance of simplicity and elegance. The traditional Chinese culture has a world view expressed through the “celestial†circle and the “square†of the earth, or land, which is not only evident in Chinese architecture, but also integrated into furniture designs such as the Quan.
The design is a combination of this “square and circle†symbolism, the top being round, representing harmony and happiness; and at the bottom being square evoking strength, stillness and focus. Recreated in the most contemporary of materials by JinR she says it epitomizes her desire to “preserve and evolve the T. Spirit of Chinaâ€
THERE IS NO CHAIR - TRANSPARENT QUAN CHAIR RED -
A version of the Quan is also recreated
strikingly in red acrylic paying tribute to
the immeasurable contributions of those
through the ages that have contributed
to the chair’s creation - from the hand
of the original woodsman, vision of the
scholar, even the horse that gave the hair
for the brushes; and through now to the
modern day material producers and the still
existing hand skills required to shape her
contemporary pieces. JinR shares “Red is
the blood of the life still flowing and the
souls of those before that have brought this
chair to us.â€