Chinese furniture design is looking back to its cultural roots and reinvigorating past techniques, materials and forms, say authors Charlotte and Peter Fiell. Here they pick six items from their latest book that show how.
Since the mid-1990s a definable movement in contemporary Chinese furniture design has been growing with a "snowballing momentum", argue Charlotte and Peter Fiell.
In their recently published book, Contemporary Chinese Furniture Design, the authors introduce the work and ideas of the leading protagonists of what has become known as "New Chinese Design".
They believe that the quality and innovation of the furniture will force a reappraisal of contemporary Chinese design, tipping the balance of international influence from west to east. "Over the last couple years, we have been on the most remarkable design adventure while researching this book," said Peter and Charlotte Fiell.
"Our various research trips took us to nine different Chinese mega-cities as well as countless towns and villages, where we visited not only various designers' studios, but aligned craft workshops, factories, showrooms, dedicated museums and even a number of private homes."

The Fiells met and interviewed the key pioneers of New Chinese Design, to better understand what was going on in China's contemporary design scene.
"What we discovered was an extraordinary pool of design talent, which completely redefines the west's concept of what Made ...