Blue Phoenix Ukubaza by Yen Ting Cho is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award in Ubuciko Obuhle Competition Category.

IsilivaUbuciko Obuhle· 2023

Blue Phoenix Ukubaza

by Yen Ting Cho

Client: Yen Ting Cho Studio

Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award Winner in Ubuciko Obuhle Category

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Colors

The Design

About Blue Phoenix Ukubaza

I-Blue Phoenix isithombe esibaziwe esihlanganisa izingxenye ze-aluminium ezixhumene ezinamekwe ngephethini yokuphrinta yedijithali. Yakhiwe phakathi nobhubhane lwe-coronavirus kanye nezingxabano zomhlaba wonke, futhi igubha impilo nenqubekelaphambili ezikhathini eziyinselele nezingalindelekile. Umnyombo wensimbi, oshintsha ubude, uzungeza endaweni enhle, njengokungathi inyoni ivula amaphiko ayo. Iqiniswe ngesisekelo esiyisicaba esithuthukisa umuzwa wokuya phezulu nangaphandle. Kuwo wonke ama-engeli, isithombe esiqoshiwe sinikeza isipiliyoni esibonakalayo esikhangayo nesiguqukayo, esifanekisela ukuqina komuntu kanye nomzamo.

The Recognition

About the Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award

Blue Phoenix Ukubaza iwinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award, ukwaziswa okuhloniphekile ngokungajwayelekile okunikezwa imiklamo esezingeni eliphezulu, ebukekayo nethinta kakhulu. Abawinile beSiliva yimisebenzi egqamile kakhulu nedala kakhulu ebonisa ubungcweti obuphawulekayo, italente nobuhlakani babaklami babo. Blue Phoenix Ukubaza ilindeleke ukuba ibe ngumsebenzi omuhle wesibonelo, onobungcweti obuphawulekayo nezinto ezintsha ezijulile. Lo mklamo owinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award uyinto entsha ebonakala kakhulu nethakazelisayo esiza futhi isunduza imingcele yobuciko, isayensi, ukuklama nobuchwepheshe. Blue Phoenix Ukubaza iyinto enomhawu omkhulu kuyo evusa izifiso, ilethe imizwa emihle futhi ivuse ukumangala nokuxakeka.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Blue Phoenix is a sculpture of interlocked aluminium parts coated with a digital print pattern. Created in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and global conflict, it celebrates life and progress in troubled, unpredictable times. It uses a rotating rod structure, as if a bird is opening its wings. From every angle, the sculpture offers a captivating and evolving visual experience. It is fixed to a flat base, which enhances the sense of movement and signifies optimism in a conflicted world.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 392mm x Depth 520mm x Height 626mm.
Tags: Sculpture, digitally-printed pattern, COVID-19, pandemic, conflict, war, resolution
Production Technology: Blue Phoenix is a sculpture comprising interlocked aluminium parts coated with a digitally-printed pattern fixed to a horizontal base. The flat base physically anchors the sculpture but it also visually enhances its sense of upward and outward movement. The rich colours and changing appearance of the sculpture when viewed from different angles symbolize the imprints of hardships that humans endure.
Design Challenge: The key challenge was how to seamlessly integrate digital patterns with the three dimensional structure of each rod, ensuring that viewers could appreciate the work from any angle whilst creating a unified whole. To enhance its dynamic appeal, we added a structural element, connecting each metal rod to an axis of rotation, which creates a graceful arc reminiscent of a bird’s outstretched wings. The structure is anchored to a rectangular base so that the patterns are static while the parts suggest movement.
Research: Many sculptures use rotated rods but Blue Phoenix employs a unique combination of modern rotating 3D structures and dynamic digitally-printed 2D patterns. It is an innovative work, enabling the audience to view its changing shape and colours from all angles. The metal core, which changes in length, rotates in a graceful arc, anchored by a base. The structure appears unstable, like a phoenix rising from flames, symbolizing human resilience and endeavour in troubled times.
Inspiration: It was inspired by our experience of pandemic and conflict, and yearning for a brighter future. The pandemic forced us to retreat into solitude, halting our plans. We were confronted with profound changes that made us vulnerable, and this was exacerbated by war and conflict globally. Yet, as we navigate our way through these troubled times, we emerge like a phoenix, reborn from the ashes of our former selves. Our resilience and tenacity is a testament to our strength and adaptability as humans.
Project Duration: The project started in April 2022 in Tainan City, Taiwan, and finished in August 2022 in Tainan, and was first exhibited in Maison and Objet, Paris, France in September 2022.
Operation Flow: The intricate patterns are meticulously arranged on each of the rod-shaped structures, culminating in a mesmerising visual experience that shifts and transforms as the viewer moves around the sculpture. Positioned at the centre of any exhibition space, its ever-changing beauty can be fully appreciated from all angles. As audiences gaze at it, the artwork unveils a myriad of aesthetic wonders that are both immersive and captivating.