Winding stream
Yunhan Wang
Zuhai, China | Wood: hard maple
Yunhan Wang is a designer from China, currently living in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. Wang graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing, China, with an undergraduate degree in product design, continuing her postgraduate studies in Milan. She then worked as the director of the product design department at Jiang & Associates, collaborating with the Italian furniture brand from 2016 to 2019. She set up her independent design studio in 2020, called Dorisofia Studio. Her work is inspired by the exploration of traditional Chinese furniture elements, combined with more modern design techniques.
‘This project is a way in which I can express my own thoughts and ideas and design according to myself.’
The design process
Unable to carry out certain customs during lockdown, people are confined to performing rituals at home. There is a novel need for suitable furniture and objects that can fit a small space but serve the same purpose. Wang wanted to create a domestic alternative to the ‘winding stream party’, a Chinese drinking custom in which poetry is composed while a cup is floated down a stream with people sat on both sides; the person sitting in front of the cup that stops has to drink it.
The making of the final piece
Winding Stream is made out of hard maple because Wang was drawn to the light colour. The table is also notable for the drain that runs through it, so users can dispose of their water through the twisting gully. It then trickles into a waste bucket housed in the main leg. The timber has been spray painted to prevent rot from setting in. As a finishing touch, the designer has also created cups and a tray.
The end result
Inspired by Hakka round houses, Wang created a compact table design with storage concealed in the legs and a central slit to fit trays and cups. The table is also equipped with a drain so users can dispose of their water through the twisting gully, and it then trickles into a waste bucket housed in the main leg.