Nendo’s Chair Garden was, without a doubt, one of my favourite Milan moments this year. I found it so spectacular that it actually made me squeal with excitement. I have been a huuuuge fan of nendo work for quite some time now – from architecture and interiors, furniture and products, Oki Sato is one of the truly brilliant designer of our generation.

Chair Garden was a private exhibition held at Galleria Antonia Jannone in Milan’s Brera area. Nendo’s installation featured a series of tiny flower pots with ‘sprouting’ furniture.


A stool grows a backrest, and becomes a chair. When an armrest sprouts from it, it is an armchair. The stool grows sideways, and becomes a bench, or lengthwise and becomes a lounge chair, or even a bed. If we can see a piece of furniture’s function changes as it grows and matures over time, we may find new clues, even a way to design form naturally. This installation explores ways of determining form based not on function or a modular system derived from the proportions of the human body, but on ‘furniture that grows’.


 

 

Amongst the products nendo showed at Milan this year was the Wire-Chair {pictured above}, next generation of the Cord-Chair launched last year for Maruni.

The super slender Wire-Chair features 12mm stainless steel rod legs with multiple layers of powder coating, which give it a lustrous finish reminiscent of Japanese laquerware. The  chair is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

H.O.T.N.E.S.S.

Oh, and the glass case {the top images, left of the Wire-Chair} contained all of nendo’s work as miniatures. Total squeal moment. I bet that you too would’ve squealed in excitement, right?!



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With a disarming blend of authority and approachability, Dana is a former refugee-turned-global design visionary. Through her multi-faceted work as a creative director, keynote speaker, editor, curator, interior designer and digital publisher, Dana empowers others to appreciate and engage with design in transformative ways, making the sometimes intimidating world of design accessible to everyone, regardless of their familiarity with the subject. Dana's been catapulted to the status of a stalwart global influencer, with recognition from industry heavyweights such as AD Germany, Vogue Living, Elle Décor Italia and Danish RUM Interiør Design, who have named as one of the Top True Global Influencers of the Design World and counted her among the most visionary female creatives on the planet. Her TEDx talk—"Design Can Change the Way You See the World"— will challenge and transform your understanding of design's omnipresent and profound influence. Through her vast experience in interiors, architecture and design, Dana challenges the prevailing rapid image culture, highlighting the importance of originality, sustainability, connecting with your values and learning to "see" design beyond the aesthetic.

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