Strength, beauty and shimmer collide in this most recent collection by Chinese-born artist Hongjiee Yang, who is fascinated by the interconnectedness of nature, culture, and technology. In his latest furniture collection ‘Synthesis Monolith’, the artist and designer explores the interrelation between the natural and the artificial by capturing the metamorphosis of materials within a single monolithic form.

“Synthesis Monolith investigates the transformative properties of metal, tracing in a single totemic object the primitive origins of aluminum and steel in ores through to their emergence as highly polished artificial materials,” explains the designer. Including mirrors, coffee tables, and benches, the furniture series portrays an evolutionary arc, tracing the transformation of the material, its aesthetic, and application to stunning effect. Made in aluminum, the sculptural pieces are the result of an experimental casting method that combines ancient techniques and modern technology to capture the evolution of the material in a single work. Visually blurring the divide that separates the natural from the machined, the designer seeks to illustrate a world in which nature and culture are intertwined and the universe is constantly evolving. “The reflective exterior brings the viewer’s living presence into the sculpture’s aesthetic and form, seeking to evoke a state of contemplation,” he adds.