Breaking new ground

Singapore furniture designers have used the Covid-19 disruption to focus on new works and experiences as well as reflect on their creative identities

Smoke Signature founder Marcus Wang, whose designs include the Valieri series using suar wood (above), went back to the drawing board during the circuit breaker to sketch a new line of contemporary furniture with slim and lightweight silhouettes.
Smoke Signature founder Marcus Wang, whose designs include the Valieri series using suar wood (above), went back to the drawing board during the circuit breaker to sketch a new line of contemporary furniture with slim and lightweight silhouettes. PHOTO: SMOKE SIGNATURE
Furniture designer and maker Liew Yu Hua’s pieces, such as this coffee table (above), are inspired by nature as well as the wood she works with.
Furniture designer and maker Liew Yu Hua’s pieces, such as this coffee table (above), are inspired by nature as well as the wood she works with. PHOTO: SECRET LIFE OF TREES
Award-winning Singapore furniture designer Nathan Yong is behind these nature-inspired furniture pieces (above) for Jewel Changi Airport.
Award-winning Singapore furniture designer Nathan Yong is behind these nature-inspired furniture pieces (above) for Jewel Changi Airport. PHOTO: NATHAN YONG DESIGN
Home-grown family-run woodworking design studio Roger&Sons salvages cut trees for its Local Tree Project, turning some of them into public furniture (above) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Home-grown family-run woodworking design studio Roger&Sons salvages cut trees for its Local Tree Project, turning some of them into public furniture (above) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. PHOTO: ROGER&SONS
Local label Scene Shang, whose “Shang system” (above) has won several awards, is working to bring its physical retail experience into its online offerings.
Local label Scene Shang, whose “Shang system” (above) has won several awards, is working to bring its physical retail experience into its online offerings. PHOTO: SCENE SHANG
Chantal Sajan
Senior Correspondent
Updated
Jun 20, 2020, 05:00 AM
Published
Jun 20, 2020, 05:00 AM
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For the last eight years, Mr Marcus Wang has been blowtorching wood to make his signature furniture pieces.

"Charred is the new black," says the founder of Smoke Signature at the Esplanade Mall, the flagship store of Mr Wang's Smoke by Shou Sugi Ban Gallery furniture brand. The method, which originated in Japan in the 1900s, involves carefully charring and oiling wood, rendering it both water-and fire-resistant, with the added bonus of staving off termites.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 20, 2020, with the headline Breaking new ground. Subscribe

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