Big news out of the Stockholm Furniture Fair! They announced the winners of the Scandinavian Design Awards across seven categories last month. This fair is a huge deal for furniture design in Northern Europe – it attracts all the big names, from designers to companies to design fans. And winning a Scandinavian Design Award is a major honor – it's basically a stamp of approval from the industry's top experts, and a good sign of what's hot in design right now.

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Didi NG Wing Yin is making waves as the Asian representative for Rising Designer of the Year 2024! He's taking wood to new heights with his innovative techniques. But what's the deal with this trend of using everyday materials in new ways?

Didi is all about breathing new life into classic designs. He crafts functional furniture that's both beautiful and practical, blending traditional woodworking with a sculptural feel. His artistic process celebrates the raw beauty of wood. He uses his brainpower, along with some cool experimental techniques like surface treatments and sculpting, to push the boundaries of what woodworking and modern design can be.

Credit to Artist Didi


Didi's been obsessed with wood for years, and it shows! He's on a mission to unlock its full potential and show off its many sides. He's even exploring how wood can bring a touch of nature indoors.



Didi's "Wooden Chairs": The Ocean Captured in Wood


Didi NG Wing Yin's "Wooden Chairs" series is a stunning ode to the sea. The faint, gradual hues of the ocean captured in wood – that's the magic of these chairs. The natural wood grain itself resembles dark, rolling waves.


Credit to Artist Didi


For this project, Didi got creative with both wood and cork. He explored how the natural textures of wood could be accentuated, and then played with color on the cork material. The uneven surfaces are hand-sanded to make the wood grain really pop. Then, Didi uses a fascinating technique: burning, baking, and washing the wood to create a beautiful, ever-changing pattern that echoes the burnt imprint of the grain.

Chairs that are both beautiful and functional. The polished surfaces balance out the natural, wavy texture, creating a piece that's both a delight for the eyes and comfortable to sit on.

Didi's genius lies in using a natural material – wood – to mimic another natural wonder – the ocean. It's like he's condensed the mystery and depth of the sea into a chair you can put right in your living room. These colorful, wood-grained chairs are a testament to Didi's creativity and his ability to bring the essence of nature indoors in a truly unique way.

His wood dyeing technique goes way beyond chairs. He adapts it to create different vibes depending on the project.

Credit to Artist Didi


Check out these two wooden sculptures below. Didi uses a similar approach, but with a bolder color treatment. The vertical wood grain catches the light and throws cool shadows, but the special dye gives it a velvety smooth look.

Credit to Artist Didi


Didi's not the only one making waves with colorful wood. This trend has been bubbling up at design shows for the past couple of years. Here are a few other cool examples:

Bla Station's got funky, multi-functional seats that use colorful plywood to mimic natural wood grain.

Fredrik Paulsen is all about eye-catching solid wood cutting boards with a pop of color.

Meike Harde takes a more artistic approach, using watercolors to create dreamlike swirls of color on raw wood.

It's a whole new way to experience the beauty of wood, and it's clear this trend is here to stay!

Credit to Bla Station


Credit to Fredrik Paulsen

Credit to Meike Harde

02 Didi's Curved Wood Bench Takes Over


Didi's furniture is all about breaking the mold! He doesn't just build with flat planks or blocky shapes. Instead, he blends furniture design with sculpture, using woodworking techniques to create unique, sculpted pieces.

Credit to Artist Didi


This furniture is curvy and sleek, yet strong enough to hold you up. He achieves this surprising contrast by creating pieces that look soft and delicate, but are incredibly sturdy.

A great example is this bench. The edges are thinned out to make it look light and airy, completely transforming the texture and feel of the wood. It's a whole new way to experience what wood furniture can be!



Credit to Artist Didi

Didi uses the same technique on his vases, making these solid containers look impossibly thin and delicate, almost like paper. It's a mind-bend of virtual and real, strong and soft. Didi plays with the natural properties of wood to create these amazing effects.


Woodworkers like Ben Graham with his carved decorations and Pierre Renart with his furniture designs have explored similar ideas. 

Credit to Ben Graham

Credit to Pierre Renart

 

03 Feathers of Wood: Didi's Soft Wood Sculpture

Wood – we all know it's solid and sturdy. But Didi NG Wing Yin has a different vision. He pushes the boundaries, transforming wood into something surprisingly soft and delicate.


Credit to Artist Didi


Didi achieves this incredible effect by hand-curling the wood, creating a thin, almost paper-like layer. He strengthens the structure using traditional rice glue lamination. This technique allows him to design thin lampshades. The natural curl and irregular edges of the wood shavings create a soft, almost velvety texture. It's like a built-in diffuser, softening the light and creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Didi's work is a testament to his creativity and his ability to see wood in a whole new light. It's a reminder that even the most familiar materials can surprise us!

In another wall design project, he went all out to explore its many textures. Forget smooth finishes – Didi uses a special hand-cutting technique to break away thin strips of wood, creating a feathery surface he calls "Feathers of Wood."


Credit to Artist Didi


It's the opposite of everything we expect from wood! Instead of sanding it smooth, Didi gives it a whole new layer of texture that looks like soft feathers. From afar, it almost looks like the wood itself is growing delicate, feathery plumes, swaying in the breeze. It gives the wood a sense of life and movement, almost like a living creature.

This creative process isn't just about looks, though. It's a way to celebrate the natural growth patterns of wood – its organic, stable structure. But at the same time, it challenges how we normally experience wood. Didi makes it feel soft, alive, and completely unexpected. It's a whole new way to see this familiar material!

 

Credit to Artist Didi