Before founding his design practice in Chengdu, China, Yann Pu practiced guitar. He started playing in junior high, and while studying furniture design at the Universal College of Learning in New Zealand, he tried his hand at building an instrument. “I purchased the best classical guitar–making materials available to me, and I ventured into advanced crafting techniques,” he says. “However, I underestimated the difficulty of instrument making. I’m not entirely satisfied with the sound quality, but it’s still something worth boasting about.”

Pu reprised some of those techniques in the design of his Combo shelf, which features a rounded frame made of heat-bent laminated wood. “It’s similar to the lamination and steam bending used in the furniture industry,” he explains, “but it demands more skill because I didn’t have enough funds to use expensive machinery or collaborate with workshops.” As for his studio, it’s a complete coincidence that the arts district where it’s located housed a guitar-manufacturing factory 40 years ago. “What inspires me most is the old equipment, the architecture, and the chaotic order created by various stacked materials and clutter,” he says. “I always manage to find some beauty in the details.”

The designer mixed and tested about 100 dyes to develop the shelf’s azure hue. He also pioneered a material made of cotton gauze and resin that echoes the deep, glossy texture of fiberglass, but is much safer to process. It forms the long, lozenge-like seat of his Combo bench and the sculpted body of his inky black Obsidian chair. Pu often combines these handcrafted elements with CNC-machined aluminum and wood parts, which can be efficiently produced in nearby factories. “Labor costs, material expenses, and rent are relatively affordable in cities like Chengdu,” he says, though he’s quick to note the challenges of breaking into the industry. “China’s large population might suggest a massive design market, but the reality is quite the opposite—many manufacturers tend to favor ‘replica’ designs and cheap, homogenized, low-quality products.”

“Only when a Chinese designer gains recognition abroad do they have better opportunities in China,” Pu says. “For a young generation of Chinese designers, the challenge lies in finding a balance between these two extremes.”

You can learn more about Yann Design Studio by visiting the studio’s website or on Instagram.

Top image courtesy Yann Design Studio

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