“The recognition and understanding of the need was the primary condition of the creative act. When people feel they had to express themselves for originality for its own sake, that tends not to be creativity. Only when you get into the problem and the problem becomes clear, can creativity take over.”

The husband and wife duo of Charles and Ray Eames have had an enormous impact in modern architecture and furniture designs in the 20th Century. Through their chair designs, one can see features such as shapes, comfortability and durability can all stand the test of time. Nearly half a century later, their creations are still circulating around as the products are avant-garde, experimental and also considered important factors such as usability, techniques and budget in mind. During the depression-era preceding World War II, they were thinking of ways to produce designs for the masses. In the end, they’ve settled on plastic and these initial ideas shaped the Eames Plastic Armchair and Shell Chair as we know today.

Charles Eames was the winner of the 1940 MOCA Furniture Design Competition and also the inventor of the Plywood application. Subsequently this new wood bending technique created the Eames Lounge Chair Wood. Apart from their contributions in design, their rule-breaking and persistence traits have contributed into a legacy in which designers of today are to follow.

HKDI Gallery and Herman Miller recently worked together on the creation of the “Essential Eames” exhibition, a showcase of classic chair designs, photography, toys, architecture and graphic design pieces. In addition to the hand drawn sketches that have never been seen by the public. The presentation also includes holiday photos from the iconic couple, which provides a glimpse into their creative world and the close connection between design and lifestyle. From this exhibit, we can also learn about their struggles and failures during their career, it lets the viewers understand more about the trials and hardships they have faced. The aim of the presentation is to lead people into Charles & Ray Eames’ creative career by bringing together visual, interactive and educational elements. The “Essential Eames” exhibition will run until December 2.

Text: Vincent Lau | Translation: noble pauper
Photo Courtesy: Herman Miller Australia

HERMAN MILLER
reach.hermanmillerasia.com

HONG KONG DESIGN INSTITUTE
www.hkdi.edu.hk