Yian Hung's Magic Blocks: A Fusion of Art and Functionality

Exploring Spatial Illusion in Furniture Design

Yian Hung's Magic Blocks, a set of steel interpretation accentuated by its surface and colors, is a testament to the designer's exploration of systematic practice, visual interactions, and human experiences. The design was inspired by spatial illusion and the concept of deconstruction and perspective design. This experimental project is an example of exploration of visual perspective and exploration.

What sets Magic Blocks apart from other designs is its unique properties. The boards are joined together by craft welders and finished in various colors of paint coating treatment, suitable for both indoors and outdoors. Functionally, the objects are designed in different heights to overlap or simply serve their purpose individually. In vision, through different combinations, perspective and color overlap are generated to decorate different interior spaces.

The realization of this design involved the use of stainless steel. The rods are joined together by craft welders using tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding methods and finished in powder coating treatment. The surface is painted in different colors, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

The design specifications of Magic Blocks are as follows: Table 1 measures 610 X 610 X 500 mm, Table 2 measures 610 X 310 X 500 mm, and Table 3 measures 600 X 300 X 500 mm. These three objects can be combined or simply used as a coffee table alone. When not in use, they can be considered art at home.

The design project started in 2016 in Taipei, with a prototype made in 2018. The research underlying this design is based on the rediscovery of space, perspective, and color, and their impact on furniture and interior spaces. This led to a dialogue on the idea of design being conscious in intent, and how design can be deconstructed to derive a level of novelty besides its dominant principles. The challenge was to find the geometric shapes to place through to increase the perspective of the table. The hardest part of the design activity was in the production of the tables. The simplicity and clarity of the design required good precision in the welding, almost seeking perfect in machinated beauty but in the form of craft.

Yian Hung's Magic Blocks was awarded Silver in A' Furniture Design Award in 2020. This prestigious award is rewarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.