Designer Taekhan Yun noticed something peculiar during a visit to his parents’ English school in Cambodia. The children were restless, constantly shifting in their chairs as if trying to find comfort. Inspired by this, Yun realised that furniture and spaces are predominantly designed with adult needs in mind, while children are expected to adapt to these environments.

With a keen interest in participatory creative projects, Yun decided to create workshops where children could design their own whimsical chairs and birdhouses, first through drawing and then sculpting prototypes from clay. The artist would then craft full-scale wooden objects based on the designs, ensuring each piece was true to the children’s vision.

The result is a joyful collection of functional artworks that celebrate community. Each object may be beautiful in isolation, but when gathered together, they form an even more vibrant and inspirational group, much like the way ideas can expand and evolve through brainstorming and learning. Yun plans to continue these workshops, currently coordinating a couple in South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

Reflecting on his journey, Yun states that working with children has shifted his focus from the final objects themselves to how they perceive, imagine, and interpret their surroundings. He hopes to expand this chair project internationally by collaborating with children from different cultural and social backgrounds.