AJING REVEALS DESIGNER COLLABORATION WITH FRANÇOIS HURTAUD TO LAUNCH A NEW LINE OF LIQUID METAL FURNITURE

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Written By François Hurtaud

Inspired by Gregor Mendel who discovered interesting traits of inheritance while potting pea plants at the beginning the 19th century, The Mendel Project: Orchid Series is a line of contemporary furniture consisting of a cabinet and an art piece inspired by the natural and complex forms of an orchid stem cell. Designer François Hurtaud aimed at solidifying a hand-finished microscopic section of the plant cell with bronze. “This organic texture has been made possible by a judicious combination of both high precision of computer numerical control (CNC) machining and the unique expertise of skilled artisans,” explains Hurtaud. Over a year of research and development has finally made this pattern into a reality - now a structurally balanced yet naturally organic pieces of art.

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“Liquid metal is an exceptional material that allows visual and texture volumes with high complexity.”

says the designer. “This collaboration was an opportunity to showcase more than two decades of our metal finishing know-how” says Eric Chan, General Manager of AJING. “Sand blasting reveals the physical dimension of the intricate cells. The medium is then coated with several layers of bronze and undergo multiple surface treatments from undercoating, metal coating, aging to top coating.” A polished finishing brings light to an elaborate metallic coating. The Mendel Project debuts with the Orchid Series, produced at a limited edition of ten artefacts.

François Hurtaud

François Hurtaud begun his design career in 2008 as a studio designer after graduating from Masters Degree in Advanced Studies in Cross-cultural Design at Shanghai University and a Bachelor in Industrial Design at L’Ecole de Design de Nantes in France.

Hurtaud then headed the design force for several consumer goods companies where he demonstrates his understanding of the power of social and sustainable design, cross-cultural and the precarious balance of function and form in luxury design and production.

Since his childhood, Hurtaud has always had the passion for art, science and technology; passions that he cultivated and improved through formal educations and apprenticeship in design. Having the chance of working in different countries, agencies and companies, exploring multitude aspects of designs, he now thinks of design as an equation, trying to find creative solutions to balance between functionality & aesthetics, sustainability & profitability, viability & legitimacy. Hurtaud’s designs has received multiple international design awards and accolades, such as Good Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, German Design Award and A' Design Award.

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