Yongchen Ma
BIO
Yongchen Ma is both an interior designer and furniture designer/maker born in China and based in Toronto. She grew up in China, and is heavily influenced by Chinese culture. After moving to Canada, she has learned a variety of techniques and design aesthetics that have inspired her new sense of personal design. Wood is her chosen medium. Yongchen enjoys the process of creating and fabricating, along with the process of problem solving. Her design always focuses on function, aesthetic and cultural research. Her studio practice combines her design and technical skills to create beautiful, culturally influenced furniture and interior design. Yongchen’s goal is to combine the Eastern and Western cultures to create her own Neo-Chinese Style.
CAPSTONE PROJECT
FANG YUAN VANITY COLLECTION
Yongchen wanted to create a conversation between past and present in her Neo-Chinese style collection titled FangYuan. She adapts the visual attributes of Ming Dynasty furniture, and considers the Chinese philosophy of “Unity of Man and Nature” to create an enclosed dressing environment. This collection contains a screen divider, a vanity table and a stool. She decided to use “the square heaven and the rounded earth” Chinese theory to demonstrate her understanding of “the combination of nature and humanity”. The circle represents the heaven and square represents the earth. She embraced the circle and square and included these elements into her final design. The design reflects Eastern spiritual pursuits, with a Chinese contemporary furniture design philosophy of “making the past serves the present.” She also layers these approaches by using contemporary methods of fabrication. Her vanity collection, FangYuan, draws from Neo-Chinese style to create a comfortable dressing area embodying a calm and luxurious feel.
FEATURED Work
Title: Fang Yuan Vanity Collection
Dimensions: Screen: 162.5 x 40.5 x 167.5 cm, Table: 122 x 40..5 x 76 cm, Stool: 40.5 x 40.5 x 46 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut and Ash, Stone, Leather
Title: Fang Yuan Vanity Table and Stool Set
Dimensions: Table: 122 x 40..5 x 76 cm, Stool: 40.5 x 40.5 x 46 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut and Ash, Stone, Leather
Title: Fang Yuan Vanity Stool
Dimensions: 40.5 x 40.5 x 46 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut and Ash, Stone, Leather
Title: Fang Yuan Screen
Dimensions: 162.5 x 40.5 x 167.5 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut, Ash
Title: Fang Yuan Screen
Dimensions: 162.5 x 40.5 x 167.5 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut, Ash
Title: Fang Yuan Screen (detail)
Dimensions: 162.5 x 40.5 x 167.5 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut, Ash
Title: Fang Yuan Screen (detail)
Title: Fang Yuan Screen (detail)
Dimensions: 162.5 x 40.5 x 167.5 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut, Ash
Title: Fang Yuan Vanity Table (detail)
Dimensions: 122 x 40..5 x 76 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut and Ash, Stone
Title: Fang Yuan Vanity Table (detail)
Dimensions: 122 x 40..5 x 76 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut and Ash, Stone
Title: Fang Yuan Vanity Stool (detail)
Dimensions: Stool: 40.5 x 40.5 x 46 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut, Leather
Title: Fang Yuan Vanity Stool (detail)
Dimensions: 40.5 x 40.5 x 46 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut, Leather
Title: Fang Yuan Vanity Collection
Dimensions: Screen: 162.5 x 40.5 x 167.5 cm, Table: 122 x 40..5 x 76 cm, Stool: 40.5 x 40.5 x 46 cm
Year: 2022
Materials: Walnut and Ash, Stone, Leather