Rotterdam-based Canadian designer Tom Chung established his studio in 2015, with the intention to create ‘context-driven industrial design items for home, institutional and public environments’.
Having based his studio in Vancouver at 25, Chung’s early works had been pushed by the necessity to simply transport them to Europe to exhibit them (‘they needed to match a suitcase,’ he explains). Since transferring to Rotterdam in 2019, he notes, his work has grow to be bigger and extra experimental: ‘Greater than something, the financial and pragmatic situations of my studio form my follow.’
‘Piton’ transportable lamp by Tom Chung for Muuto
(Picture credit score: Neil Godwin at Future Studios for Wallpaper*)
Tom Chung and the designs that make him a Future Icon
Chung was impressed by flashlights and out of doors gear to create the ‘Piton’ transportable lamp for Muuto, outlined by an industrial aesthetic and versatile performance. The collaboration between Chung and Muuto began in early 2018, and the transportable lamp was previewed at Hyères’ Design Parade earlier than being additional developed for manufacturing.
‘The start line of this mission was reflecting on how we live in cities and our need for wilderness inside these areas,’ he says. He was impressed by the continuing development of metropolis dwellers transferring to rural and distant areas, and drew from his childhood in Vancouver, surrounded by nature and wilderness, to develop the design.
‘I lived an energetic childhood and grew up spending quite a lot of time outdoor,’ he explains, noting this was a key affect on his need to design. ‘Inside these areas, I developed a fascination for efficiency gear, pure objects, and a sensitivity to the constructed setting.’
Chung’s studio, that includes items from the ‘Fromme’ assortment for Petite Friture and the ‘Piton’ lamp for Muuto
(Picture credit score: Courtesy Tom Chung)
Amongst his earlier works had been ‘Beam’, a lamp knowledgeable by utilitarian objects, which was proven at Stockholm Furnishings Honest in 2017 and is now produced by Muuto, and ‘Fromme’, a set of chairs and stools that’s a part of the Petite Friture catalogue. ‘[These were] the primary works I made after quitting my job to pursue impartial follow: they allowed me to search out my very own distinct methodology of working,’ Chung explains. ‘All the work had a really clear and industrial language and was made utilizing semi-automated industrial manufacturing round Toronto.’
‘Fromme’ chairs for Petite Friture
(Picture credit score: Courtesy Tom Chung)
Amongst his upcoming initiatives is a flagship retail house in downtown Toronto; a self-initiated analysis mission utilizing fused glass; a 3D-knit lighting assortment three years in improvement; and a collaboration with Canadian furnishings model Half & Complete, for which Chung has curated the artwork path in addition to created new couch designs.
When requested what recommendation he’d supply for the longer term generations of designers, his strategy to the career turns into clear: ‘Spend money on your folks, put money into relationships and rethink the present fashions and energy constructions within the trade.’
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Prototypes of stackable aluminium containers
(Picture credit score: Courtesy Tom Chung)
Supply: Wallpaper
