Sunday Arvo with John Quan
John in his Jam Factory Studio.
On a hot Sunday afternoon in Adelaide I caught up with Designer, Maker and friend – John Quan in his Jam Factory Contemporary Craft & Design studio.
Woven Structure – European beech veneer – by John Quan 2007.
Stackable Serving Set – American walnut, walnut veneer & rare earth magnets – John Quan 2007.
I met John back in 2008 through the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Awards Program. His Woven Structure and Stackable Serving Set, on display for the award, had an elegant simplicity. They were paired back to only essential elements and used a minimal palette of materials.
Since 2008 John has completed a Jam Factory Associateship, been shortlisted for high-profile awards including the 2010 Bombay Sapphire Award and Launch Pad Program and has also taken up residence in one of the Jam Factory studios available to practitioners across ceramics, glass, metal and furniture design and making.
On this afternoon John’s working on one of his prototypes for a new desk lamp as well as production pieces for Jam Factory. His project Flexible Desk Lamp is on display as part of WOOD – ART DESIGN ARCHITECTURE at the Santos Museum of Economic Botany within the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
Flexible Desk Lamp – European beech veneer, aluminium, SMD LEDs, lithium batteries – by John Quan 2010.
Flexible Desk Lamp is a minimal expression of material and form. Wafer thin – I and many like me are in awe of how he has integrated LED lighting, a thin aluminium strip and contact point within the lamp’s veneer and elegant form to connect the light to its power source.
Flexible Desk Lamp all lit up – John Quan 2010.
It is beautiful and intriguing. The balance of these elements comes from John’s direct experience of working with the materials intimately.
Drawing upon my training in industrial design and fashion design, I endeavour to further the understanding of my own craft through ongoing experimentation with materials and processes. All my experiences have culminated in a very pragmatic approach to design and I believe that good design is something that people should be able to live with day to day. John Quan
It was so good to catch up with John again, see his studio and check out all of his great new work. Thank you John! Enjoy John’s body of work at his website.
HAPPY SUNDAY!
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