Habitus Magazine | Issue 12

At the time of writing, I have just returned from Singapore where I again attended the International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS). I was also a judge for the new Deco Asia section of the Fair, so I had a good look at the products and hopefully picked up a feel for where design is heading in the Region.

Now, just so that we are on the same page regarding ‘the Region’… The other day, someone commented to me that Habitus had a bias towards Asia. No, I said, it was about balance and about the Region – by which I mean Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia, South Asia and the Pacific. It is about encouraging a dialogue within the Region which we all share – rather than the traditional dialogue with the U.S. and Europe which are culturally and climatically removed. While the Region may be culturally diverse, transmigration, along with geographical and climatic affinities, has brought the countries closer together. Hence, the value of a dialogue about design across the Region.

So, when I look at the kinds of products being designed, manufactured, marketed and distributed in the Region, do I see any evidence of this co-habitation?

Well, yes I do. There is certainly a cross-fertilisation going on and the encouraging thing is that this is no longer simply a matter of surface imitation using, as previously, inferior materials and engineering. What is encouraging is the trend to getting the core values right first.

As always, this is about form and function. Singapore-based company, Air Division, uses local designers and materials, but with an international aesthetic. Alternatively, another company at the Fair (they received the award for best product in Deco Asia) was the Thai lighting designer and manufacturer, Ango. Their elegant lights use a composite of natural and man-made materials and are hand-made. For example, the use of hand-cast polymer which is then used as a skin containing silk cocoons to form the shade, or with rattan ‘wires’ acting as diffusers.

Another example was d-Bodhi from Jogjakarta who have developed an extraordinary range of tables, dressers and shelving using recycled timber with recycled galvanised steel piping (they have now also introduced a range of upholstery and clothing fabrics made from recycled cloth). Using local craftsmen (including street artists), d-Bodhi’s products are again of their place, but with international appeal, especially for the emerging urban market.

These are just some of the designer-manufacturers from the Region who illustrate an emerging commercial design culture which is very much of its place, but also universal in its appeal and application.

PAUL MCGILLICK | EDITOR

PS No, I don’t bring Habitus out all by myself. Actually, most of the work is done by my Deputy Editor, Nicky Lobo.