Zhang Zhoujie grew up in rural China but went on to study Fine Art at the China Academy of Fine Art, the country’s leading specialised institution, before gaining an MA in Industrial Design at Central Saint Martin’s, London.
In wanting to draw on these skills in a modern context, he explored the latest trends in parametric design - a digital scripting method which allows the user push the possibilities of man-made, fluid forms.
He cites ‘wu wei’ which is a cornerstone of Taoism, as another guide in his work. ‘Wu Wei‘ means a lack of intervention and though his furniture is fully tuned to the logic of mathematics, he strives to blend traditional Chinese art perspectives with Western design methodology.
His designs remain true to the materials he eventually chooses and he doesn’t embellish or disguise, preferring to exploit the relationships and interactions of faceted surfaces in the making of extraordinary but functional furniture.