Lotus is a guest chair designed to bring forth a translation of traditional Ming Dynasty chair design for a modern home environment. The design was inspired by a Ming Dynasty folding chair that was created to allow high-class generals to maintain a symbolic status through furniture during an outing. There’s a Chinese idiom that describes the growth of a lotus flower, out of the mud yet unstained, which is the emotion Lotus hopefully illustrates. The characteristics of the imagery is emphasized through the intersecting design crafted through a unique lap joint and defined by a contrasting finish. The construction of the chair is structured with traditional Chinese furniture wood joinery methods: seamless, sturdy, and clean. “Lotus” in Chinese is “Lian”, a character that is also in my late grandmothers name. Having lived through such a turmoil part of Chinese history my grandmother was still the kindest, generous, warmest, and purest of heart person I knew. All of which are emotions I wanted to convey through this chair.
