by Lydia Tan, Velda Wong
Taking place at the National Museum of Singapore and open to the public until 10 June 2019, Wallpaper* Handmade Singapore is part of an ongoing collaboration between Wallpaper* and the Design Singapore Council (Dsg). This year’s theme is ‘Passion Projects’, a labour of love intended to be a showcase of creativity and collaboration.
The show features a collection of eight unique works by Singapore-based designers and studios: Asylum, Brandon Yeo, Clara Yee, Hans Tan, Lai Chan, amongst many others. The designs will also be exhibited at Milan’s Salone del Mobile in April as part of the original Wallpaper* Handmade exhibition, which has taken place in Milan for ten years.
One of the designers, Brandon Yeo, is a LASALLE graduate who won the open call for design magazine Wallpaper* and made his debut at this year’s Singapore Design Week with his winning creation Clink, a redesigned piggy bank, at the Wallpaper* Handmade 2019 exhibition. As winner of the competition, Brandon is set to travel to Milan Design Week in April and his work will be part of a curated collection of Handmade on Tour pieces.
You can see Brandon’s work at the Handmade 2019 exhibition which will run until 10 June 2019, Thursday-Monday, 10am-7pm, at the National Museum of Singapore, Concourse (Level 1). Admission is free.
We caught up with Brandon to hear his inspiration behind his work.
Q: Share with us about your design for the Wallpaper* Handmade exhibit.
I came across a competition on Wallpaper*’s website called the Wallpaper* Handmade Next Generation Singapore Designer. What intrigued me was the brief: redesign or reimagine an everyday object, anything from a useful but aesthetically overlooked staple to an under-functioning item of beauty.
I started out by trying to identify an everyday object that is close and personal to us, something that everyone could relate to. I then thought of something that is present in most cultures: money.
I discovered that many people would keep their coins in a bowl or just scatter loose change on their desks. With this in mind, I designed Clink, a coin bank where coins are placed on a platform. With coins added periodically, the increased weight results in the platform giving way to empty the coins into a storage area underneath the platform.
The mechanism is inspired by my parents’ financial responsibility for our family, with the daily contribution of coins representing the cumulation of savings. I recall how my parents would be thrilled when pouring out coins they had collected in jars. During those occasions, they would repeatedly tell me that no matter the amount of money, coins accumulated over time would eventually become surplus for rainy days. Like Clink’s platform which remains under pressure until the coins are emptied, the financial responsibility shouldered by my parents are relieved when we have savings to tide us over during more difficult times.
Q: What future works can we expect from you?
I believe that design is the creative absence of the self; a rhetorical expression of empathy towards our environment. The thin gap between knowing nothing to understanding something is an intricate yet euphoric phase in realising a design creation.
I will soon be working on furniture, tablewares and small objects that align closely with this design philosophy. Additionally, I will be starting a product design studio called HanaHana together with a friend of mine. In Korean, Hana represents one and HanaHana is a result of having two creative processes melded together as one. We aim to make storytelling tangible.
Q: How do you feel about being handpicked and commissioned this time?
I feel extremely honoured to have been chosen as the Wallpaper* Handmade Next Generation Singapore Designer and to have my work featured at Singapore Design Week 2019 alongside the likes of fellow Singaporeans Hans Tan and Clara Yee.
Wallpaper* Handmade and Singapore Design Week are phenomenal platforms to show the world the possibilities of Singapore design and the breadth of Singapore’s design talent. I received a great opportunity to work with leading creative designers and manufacturers from around the world and got the chance to learn about their philosophies, methods and thoughts on design. This experience has inspired me to be even more motivated to always do better so that I can reach greater heights in my work.
