Patrick Chia and Organic Design

Hailing from Singapore, and educated in Australia, Patrick Chia is quickly becoming a name on the international roster of modern design, making a name for himself in the broadening world of organic design. His curvy creations, with names like Blob and Bobo, remind me of the blobs I used to make when testing meringue for proper "stiffness." Caroline Barry caught up with Patrick at the recent ICFF -- and he sheds light on his latest work.

Chia unabashedly credits the likes of Ray and Charles Eames as having influenced his work. If you are only familiar with the couple's famous lounger you might be surprised to know that the school of Organic Design was really established in the era of Eames and another colleague Eero Saarinen. Some definitions of organic suggest that it is furniture designed to fit the human form. But in actuality, organic refers to continuously flowing lines, ala Saarinen's Womb Chair, Eames' famous lounger and Isamu Noguchi to name just a very few. In 1940, Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen won an organic design competition at the Museum of Modern Art for their High Back Organic Design Chair made of molded plywood. The importance of being able to mold plywood was obvious to the Organic movement -- as obvious as fiberglass is now.

If we were to arrogantly attempt a definition of Organic we would suggest forms that hold shapes that defy gravity that can morph between function and sculpture. But as is anything organic, adaptations are encouraged and sought. What is your definition of Organic Design?