Paradox Stool

• Prize
  Winner in Stool
• Designer
  Siyun Xue
• Other Credit
  Model: Zhentao Chen
• Photo Credit
  Siyun Xue
• School
  University of Iowa
• Location
  Iowa City
• Project Date
  3/15/2024
• Project Link
  view
• Web URL
  view

I visited the Harvard Art Museums in winter 2023 and came across Max Bill’s sculpture titled “Endless Surface in the Form of a Column.” Bill created a puzzling structure by splitting, twisting, and reuniting a long column, illustrating how cumulative subtle changes can shift a surface, despite being inconspicuous when we focus on only a small section. I take Bill’s sculpture to be an illustration of the sorites paradox.

This understanding of Bill’s sculpture inspired me to design the “Paradox Stool,” a sturdy 3D-printed stool with a neat appearance, in which its seat utterly transforms into its feet via a series of apparently insignificant subtle changes.

Bio
Siyun Xue is a product and furniture designer based in Iowa City. He designs everyday items across a range of scales, from salt and pepper dispensers to larger pieces like lounge chairs. Inspired by knowledge and experience from various fields, his work focuses on exploring the significance of formgiving. He conceives and brings to life functional forms that tell stories, evoke emotions, explain theories, present opinions, reveal ways of living, express ineffable feelings, and more.

Other prizes
Design Educates Awards 2024 - Honorable Mention in Product Design IDA 2024 - Bronze in Home & Living / Home Decor / Styling Products SIT Furniture Design Award 2024 - Stool Winner & Chaise Longue Winner