Curiosity rules all in design. Without it, the process of creating wouldn't be creating at all.

There's value in seeing the world from a child's perspective; I feel children are naturally curious and, therefore, more creatively inclined. I try to keep this childlike wonder for the world alive and ignore the cynical nature of adulthood.

When it comes to life and my artistic expression, my grandfather was an immense influence on me. He came from a background of traditional Chinese medicine but, in his spare time, would practice carpentry in solitude. He crafted many chairs that sat in different rooms of our home. At the time, I did not see them as works of design or creativity, rather a way of life — an adeptness to execute on a necessity with your bare hands. Now I realise it takes a great deal of acumen, a strength that inspires me to this day.

When I founded 8 Hour design, I knew I wanted to create a studio that values time over everything else. From the beginning, it was always going to be an intimate space for beautiful things, rather than a factory to churn out carbon copies of furniture. It has become a safe place to create freely. That's why the name 8 Hour is so fitting. Here we can compartmentalise our lives better, 8 hours of work, 8 hours of play, 8 hours of sleep. Making up the 24 hour day. Each of those hours is to be treated with equal importance for us all to lead happier lives.

This philosophy bleeds into the furniture we create. We craft homeware that evokes comfort above all else. Nothing sensationalist, just pure contentment. It ebbs and flows with our whims, embracing nature, observing the human body and naturally, paying homage to the environment in which we thrive, Shanghai. Living in a city of constant flux allows us to remain untethered, as if it were daring us to try something new at every turn. This makes every new project our most impassioned, and the most prized creation in that very moment until, of course, the next idea comes to fruition.