We all have interests that converge, even when they seem oceans apart in similarity. For Chinese architects Quanquan Liu and Shengdi Fu of Atelier Gegeben, they made the unlikely merging of interests happen for a privately commissioned project. Their client, Mr. Junchen Lu, is both an avid art collector and a private breeder of Rhacodactylus leachianus, a large species of gecko native to New Caledonia, an island in the South Pacific Ocean. While he’s never been to the island, he feels a connection to it and worries about the possible extinction of the lizard on its own island. To express his passion and raise awareness, he commissioned the design studio to create a piece of art furniture. What he received is extraordinarily unique – an Island Table.
Working with artist Xindi Tong, Atelier Gegeben designed a sculptural island table made from glazed ceramic and black walnut wood. Tong developed a 3D-printed glaze technique to make computer-generated images on ceramic panels. From the top view, the table features a green surface with spatial lines reminiscent of topography maps. For the base, Fu used a chainsaw to cut the table’s shape out of raw logs. The cuts show the chainsaw’s marks and texture, providing a tactile and visual contrast against the ceramic surface top. To complete the look, two small chairs were handmade to accompany the table.
For more information, visit ateliergegeben.com.
