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Traditional rosewood furniture pieces are treasured as heirloom items for their exquisite craftsmanship. How does it work with contemporary design? This is the inspiring story told in the May exhibition Unseen: The Making of Traditional Chinese Furniture jointly organised by the HKDI Gallery and Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM).

"Unseen" featured designer furniture pieces tailored for the Scholars Commons at HKPM. Memory is a set of display cabinets designed by Samuel Chan, while The Intertwined Chair is imagined by Freeman Lau. Both designs were handcrafted by Tse Shing-luen and Roy Ng, two master carpenters from two different generations. Various components and a video that explores the design and creation process were also shown at the exhibition to help visitors visualise the unique assembly methods.

One of the most striking yet "unseen" features of traditional Chinese furniture is the seamless fitting of every component without the use of a single nail. The structure known as the mortise and tenon joint keeps traditional Chinese furniture sturdy, durable and weather-proof. Its clever assembly mechanism is also adopted by Scandinavian carpenters. According to veteran hardwood artisan Tse Shing-luen, who has been in the trade for more than 45 years, the craftsmanship of traditional Chinese furniture is exceptionally rich and there is still a lot to learn and explore. He is honoured to have worked with the two renowned designers and new generation self-taught carpenter Roy Ng on this project, which has allowed the team to fuse chic designs with traditional craftsmanship.

Timelessness enlivened with advanced technology
Freeman LAU's Intertwined Chair is designed to symbolise close interpersonal relations: its built-in mini tea stand represents a platform for dialogues. To express the idea of the designer, Tse attempted to connect the components without using any glue. However, intricate contemporary designs could sometimes pose a challenge to employing traditional techniques alone, which was a challenge faced in the spiral legs of the Intertwined Chair. Ng came up with an innovative idea and deconstructed the spiral design step by step with the help of an analytic computer programme, which ultimately gave Tse new perspectives in the connection process. The duo's collaboration is a true testament of blending old techniques with new ideas to keep cultural heritage alive.

Bringing new life to endangered wood
Malagasy Rosewood from the United Republic of Tanzania and Red Sandalwood from Malaysia. Tse and Ng are glad that new life is brought to the endangered wood to showcase time-tested traditional craftsmanship.

The carpentry duo also made the other gem of the exhibition. The display cabinet "Memory" designed by Samuel Chan demonstrates the masterful application of the mortise and tenon wood joint. Small pieces of hardwood are effectively utilised to visualise heritage and continuity, achieving an aesthetic sense of order alongside the visual simplicity and harmony penned by the designer.

Online panel fostered discussion
To encourage students' and the public's appreciation of the workmanship of traditional Chinese furniture and to promote Chinese culture, the organisers held an online panel for the exhibition's opening, where designers and artisans shared their fond memories of this project and explored the possibilities of passing on the designs and artisanship of Chinese furniture.