Kerf Plastic Chairs, Dubai Edition
By Kuo Duo
Year: 2024 Commissioned by COLLECTIONAL Exhibited during Urban Fabric Group Show
Kerf Plastic Chairs, Dubai Edition by Kuo Duo is comprised of a collection of vibrant upcycled plastic furniture that explores novel approaches to materiality and construction.
Kuo Duo embarked on new experiments to craft a series of furniture pieces using upcycled plastic board, aiming to showcase the untapped potentials of shaping three-dimensional objects with this versatile material.
Through a series of experimental trials, they identified a resemblance between the materiality of upcycled plastic boards and plywood, as well as the more flexible qualities of the plastic board. With this insight, they endeavoured to apply a woodworking technique known as 'kerf bending', traditionally used to bend wood, to the upcycled plastic board.
Oshiro experimented with a number of variations before settling on an angle of 120 degrees, which gave the best result in terms of both geometric and shadow contrast. From any viewpoint, the proportions and combination of elements are devised to be never identical from one to the other while always maintaining a composite harmony.
This approach allows the once rigid and thick plastic boards to metamorphose into flexible, contoured shapes, assembled without the need for heat, glue, or chemicals. This technique not only enhances the visual design elements but also serves as a functional aspect, providing rounded edges for added comfort when applied to the backrest and seat of the chair.
In the Dubai edition created for the Urban Fabric Series, Kuo Duo introduced a new iteration of the upcycled plastic board in a speckled dark green hue. This colour was inspired by the shade of their nation’s representative tree, the Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora), symbolising eternity and sustainability in Korean culture.
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