FORWARD / BEHIND Chair
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FORWARD / BEHIND Chair
FORWARD / BEHIND Chair is an innovative furniture design that masterfully combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics, drawing inspiration from the graceful forms of antelope horns and the classical Chinese round-backed armchair. Created by designer CHIA EN WENG, this sophisticated seating solution represents a thoughtful reinterpretation of Nordic design principles, featuring a distinctive cantilevered arm structure that creates an engaging visual dialogue between positive and negative space. The chair's construction employs traditional wooden joinery techniques, specifically utilizing square tenon and wedge tenon connections to achieve structural integrity in its cantilever design, measuring 590mm in width, 590mm in depth, and 760mm in height. Crafted from a careful selection of maple and walnut woods complemented by fabric upholstery, the design emphasizes simplicity while maintaining meticulous attention to detail. The chair's most notable feature is its innovative structural approach, which creates a vacant space beneath the seat back, eliminating any sense of visual oppression for the user while maintaining ergonomic comfort. This design excellence was recognized with a Silver A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category, acknowledging its outstanding contribution to contemporary furniture design through its harmonious blend of traditional construction methods and organic elements. The chair's name, FORWARD / BEHIND, symbolizes the seamless integration of progressive design thinking with time-honored craftsmanship, creating a piece that serves as a miniature architectural statement while fulfilling its primary function as a comfortable seating solution.
furniture design, contemporary craftsmanship, cantilevered structure, ergonomic seating, traditional joinery, Nordic aesthetics
CITATION : "Adam Dawson. 'FORWARD / BEHIND Chair.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/define/forward-behind-chair?E=445742 (Accessed on October 14, 2026)"
FORWARD / BEHIND Chair on Design+Encyclopedia
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