Zhongyu Zhang uses her MMR Studio (Materials, Modality, and Routine) as a research tool. For her, materials and forms can uncover the underlying connections between different cultures and crafts, humanity and nature.

“Designers ought to follow the features of the material,” the Shanghai creator says. “In Hulu Ipū, I employ inferior gourds without the perfection shaped by industry. Thus, the rattan needs to be organically fitted to the irregular gourd, not only for structural support but to ensure the stitching detail emphasizes the gourd’s rhythmical breathing.”

Zhang experiments with different assembly and surface treatment techniques, looking to replicate the imperfect craft processes that have been automated in mass production. “I like exploring man-made nature,” Zhang says, “taking the cultural traces of urbanization as a starting point and eventually presenting them as everyday objects.”

Read the full Q&A with Zhongyu Zhang below.

Hometown: Shanghai, China

Describe what you make in 140 characters... Exploring the cultural traces in the process of urban transformation.

What’s the last thing you designed? [Skin of Air] sees the sofa as an intermediary between human and space. Inspired by Hemp-fiber Texture Stroke, the Chinese technique of painting stone, MMR uses wool fabric to represent the perception of the invisible space through the process of collage and draping.

Do you have a daily creative ritual? I live in the countryside of Shanghai, and every day I would ride in the green fields to empty my mind.

How do you procrastinate? Well, I usually procrastinate when my brain just doesn't want to function. I switch up activities, like doing housework like crazy, going for a walk, or just lying in bed and mindlessly watching videos. I've recently bought a bicycle and plan to go cycling in the suburbs of Shanghai. I really love the feeling of the wind blowing against me.

What everyday object would you like to redesign? Why? Recently, one of the legs on my computer keyboard broke, and I replaced it with a really cute phone stand with a tomato pattern. The entire keyboard base has this amusing aesthetic now. I think “broken items” that have been repaired with a bit of imagination can have this interesting contemporary art kind of beauty. Breaking away from the original perception of everyday items can be a fun and enjoyable thing.

Who are your heroes (in design, in life, in both)? In design, I really admire Pierre Charpin, a French artist who also designs furniture. I love the sense of flatness in his work, which is somewhere between geometric and organic. When I face most objects in life, I try to imagine how they would present on a piece of paper, this process helps me to think about the final form of the product.

What skill would you most like to learn? I really want to learn Judo. Judo is about mastering techniques to use lesser force than your opponent to bring them down, using the principles of physics to turn their strength against them. This concept of yielding to overcome strength, I find it very much like human relationships, which is fascinating.

What is your most treasured possession? I don't think I have any treasured possessions as such. If I had to say something, it would be the many moments that required perseverance during the establishment of the MMR STUDIO. Despite the financial crises, I always had my studio partners by my side, and the company of my two cats, which is very heartening.

What’s your earliest memory of an encounter with design? I grew up on the great grasslands of Inner Mongolia in China. My art teacher would ask us to draw based on our own impressions of the grasslands. He didn't tell us to sketch the grasslands or imitate the form of grassland painting, and I think this is a form of design. It's about opening up our imagination to abstractly express the scenery.

What contemporary design trend do you despise? I despise contemporary design trends that are using their styles as selling points, such as the recent trend of sustainable design that has blown in from abroad. I feel that very few people in China truly care about sustainability. Brands use this concept as a value-add, making consumers pay for the concept. From another perspective, starting a design based on a style can also cause the trend of design to stagnate.

Finish this statement: All design should... All design should start from a process of self-discovery. What I mean by this is that, design, when it originates from our own lives, from the visuals and concepts that we find intriguing, is less likely to end up homogeneous or generic.

What’s in your dream house? In my dream house, I hope to have a real tree.

How can the design world be more inclusive? To become more inclusive, the design world can take steps to understand different cultures, their people, events, and objects.

What do you wish non-designers understood about the design industry? I wish non-designers would understand more about the aspect of design thinking in the design industry.

You can learn more about MMR Studio on Instagram.

View the 2023 Dwell 24!

—

Top Image: Courtesy MMR Studio

Head back to the September/October 2023 issue homepage