Philippe Starck ‘Defines Asia’s Collective Unconscious’
Re-imagining the everyday chair is a challenge embarked upon by most designers at some point in their career, and none more so than France’s Philippe Starck – a man known for creating contemporary pieces containing historical design elements, but built using the most up-to-date methods. Starck has once again followed this pattern with ‘Mi Ming’ – an armchair which he calls ‘an attempt to define Asia’s collective unconscious’.
Mi Ming is heavily inspired by the design characteristics of the ‘Quanyi’ – an armchair popular during China’s Ming Dynasty Period (1368 AD – 1644 AD).
Frequently compared to a horseshoe or the Omega symbol, the rounded design of these chairs raises the arms away from the body allowing for improved air flow – a feature ideal for a country like China, which is known to experience prolonged hot spells.
By using groundbreaking injection-moulding technology to create a solid polycarbonate chair, Starck was able to minimise the structural elements needed, allowing him to introduce a contemporary edge to a piece inspired by a centuries-old design. The contrast of the clear plastic shell and bright red backrest further enforces the modern feel of Mi Ming.
The Quanyi chairs that inspired Starck’s design were favoured by scholars, officials, and other senior members of Chinese society, but thanks to its lightweight design and ability to be stacked one on top of the other, there is a functionality to Mi Ming that suggests this piece is more suitable for mainstream society. Starck himself has said that ‘Asians adore the chair’, but until the $600 price tag comes down, mass-market adoption remains unlikely, and Starck’s beautiful Mi Ming will remain as exclusive as the Quanyi chairs that inspired it.
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