Earlier this week I wrote about RCA textiles student Ya-Wen Chou‘s The Hidden Beauty project. More recently she has been taking inspiration from the traditional patterns and culture found in her native Taiwan.

The project revolves around an ancient Taiwanese philosophy that teaches that spirits inhabit everything, and therefore it is important to live in a harmony with nature. The hope being that, in the afterlife, you will be rewarded, and become a sacred being who can watch over your loved ones.

In order to keep the tradition alive in an increasingly materialistic world, Ya-Wen designed a series of heirlooms that can be passed down through the family, from generation to generation. The objects, made in layers of latex, perspex, plywood, resin, glass, ceramic, bamboo, coconut, copper, metal clay, bone and leather, allow the users to commune with nature and, in turn, pass down the story to future generations.

- A.Morris