Bronze Fine Arts and Art Installation Design · 2026
Breathing Apple Art Furniture Installation
by Hui Fan
- A' Design Award 2026 Bronze Winner in Fine Arts and Art Installation Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Guangzhou Huizi Interior Design Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 8,677
- Verification code 15ABA34C5C · Verify this award
About Breathing Apple Art Furniture Installation
Breathing Apple is an art installation that also serves as a chair. The form keeps the outline of an apple, with irregular indentations that suggest a body reshaped by pressure. The indentation and recovery of the surface express the idea of breathing and of inner revival. The piece is hand stitched from leather scraps discarded by factories. Natural color variations, visible stitching lines and untrimmed edges create a warm and tactile texture. Ergonomics guide the curves, so the work can be shown as display art or used as everyday seating.
Hui Fan's Breathing Apple Art Furniture Installation engages the rich tradition of transforming archetypal organic forms through material innovation and geometric reinterpretation, positioning three sculptural apple forms within contemporary design art discourse where functional objects ascend into contemplative aesthetic territory through material preciousness and formal sophistication, the work demonstrates accomplished understanding of how material choice fundamentally transforms viewer perception and emotional response to familiar forms, with the leftmost amber-hued sculpture achieving luminous translucency suggesting resin casting or polymer fabrication techniques that capture and hold light within faceted geometric planes, creating internal glow and dimensional complexity that rewards sustained observation, the central verdigris-toned element introduces historical resonance through surface patination and relief ornamentation suggesting metalwork traditions, ceramic techniques, or aged material character, its smaller scale creating rhythmic variation and hierarchical relationship within the tripartite ensemble, while the rightmost deep teal-to-black form commands compositional dominance through both volumetric presence and chromatic intensity, its angular faceting creating crisp geometric vocabulary that contrasts productively with the organic roundness implied by the apple archetype, the compositional achievement lies in balancing asymmetrical distribution, chromatic progression from warm to cool, tonal journey from light to dark, and textural variation from smooth reflection through matte relief to semi-gloss angularity, creating visual rhythm and serial investigation that invites comparative contemplation across the three iterations, technically the work demonstrates material mastery and surface resolution whether through casting, forming, texturing, finishing, or hybrid fabrication processes, each object exhibiting refinement in edge treatment, stem articulation, and overall volumetric integrity, thematically the installation explores how material transformation elevates everyday organic forms into precious aesthetic objects, how geometric abstraction dialogues with natural archetypes, how serial variation reveals expressive range within constrained formal parameters, and how installation context frames objects for contemplative rather than utilitarian engagement, the apple form carries rich iconographic heritage spanning temptation and knowledge, abundance and domesticity, health and simplicity, mortality and renewal, providing fertile symbolic ground for material and formal investigation, the work participates in broader contemporary movements exploring luxury craft, design art convergence, material innovation, geometric abstraction applied to recognizable forms, and the museum-worthiness of objects situated between functional design and sculptural practice, might these three forms be understood as representing temporal states or material translations of a single archetypal presence, inviting viewers to contemplate how material and surface treatment fundamentally alter our relationship to familiar forms and how presentation context transforms functional objects into subjects worthy of sustained aesthetic attention and personal reflection?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Breathing Apple is a unique piece that blends art installation with functional furniture. The piece focuses on the concept of breathing, using its shape of indentation and recovery to symbolize the inner revival of the individual. It reflects a philosophical idea of striving for completeness within imperfection. The Breathing Apple can be used as a piece of display art as well as an everyday chair. The design incorporates ergonomics, emphasizes home comfort, and artistic innovation.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- This product is hand stitched from discarded furniture scraps and composite materials. Sizes including L1980*W2020*H2260 , L1520*W1520*H1430 and L990 *W1010*H930
- Tags
- Natural Color, Material Recycling, Green, Art Work, Furniture Seating
- Production Technology
- The piece is made from leather scraps that were discarded by factories. These scraps are hand stitched and carefully assembled to give them new life. The natural color variations, stitching lines, and curved shapes of the leather create a unique texture and a sense of warmth and vitality.
- Design Challenge
- Breathing Apple not only showcases the potential for material recycling but also highlights the sense of responsibility toward society and the environment. It encourages people to start with small actions in their daily lives, turn environmental awareness into real, everyday practices, and use design thinking that is more authentic and full of warmth to address the possibilities of future living.
- Project Duration
- This product was designed on 2022/11/1 and completed with final design in 2024
- Operation Flow
- Each piece of leather in the Breathing Apple is carefully selected, paired, and sewn together by the designer, reflecting the craft and warmth of the maker. The result is a tactile fruit of life with beautiful curves and textures that invite touch. The design avoids mechanical cutting, leaving the leather’s natural edges intact, highlighting the idea that imperfections are what make it unique.
- Research
- This piece continues the creative concept that authenticity is more important than beauty, emphasizing that genuine texture and a sincere process are more valuable than perfect appearances. Each imperfect detail is a sign of life and over time, people will come to understand that those gaps and wrinkles can make something whole and complete.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration comes from the keen observation of modern life. In the fast paced and stressful world, people often feel like an apple that is been pressed appearing whole on the outside, but carrying invisible pressure. The apple, a symbol understood worldwide, represents life,healing,and growth.