Photo by Tony Law
Naihan Li
Worlds of Modern Living
Harbin-born designer Naihan Li studied design and architecture at London’s Bartlett School of Architecture, after which she moved back to Beijing to hone her skills further while working at celebrated artist Ai Weiwei’s studio. This season, she brings her signature series of furniture “The Crates” to Lane Crawford in an exclusive collection.
Li’s multi-tasking furniture for the 21st century resemble shipping crates that open up to reveal entirely crafted environments. In an exclusive collection for Lane Crawford, the designer presents four crates reflecting modern apartment living: The Entrance, The Bedroom, The Living Room and The Closet.
Photo by Naihan Li
“I started collecting individual pearls, stranded pearls and baroque pearls and my collection has grown to be very big. What’s fascinating about pearls is the short-lived beauty that they have. The alluring glow of the light shining through the core deeply attracts me.”
Photo by Eric Powell
“My studio and workshop are both located in Caochangdi, a special art village in Beijing with studio houses, galleries and design companies alongside real Chinese urban villages. Here, my workshop is my playground, the place I feel the happiest and where I can explore the realm of design.”
Photo by Naihan Li
“My obsession with pearls led me to make my own jewellery pieces and I gradually discovered the pleasure of making my own objects. The creation of these pearl necklaces was the starting point of my career in hand crafted design.”
Photo by Eric Powell
“The sophisticated Chinese culture is awakening and in the years to come we will see real entrepreneurs rise and explode in innovation and creativity. We see that we are part of the world, rather than the world versus us.”