Contract Magazine - April/May 2020 - 80

COMPETITION

Take a Seat

Wilsonart challenges young designers to create chairs
inspired by contemporary art

In Amy Yan's design, the
heart-shaped (or peacesign-shaped) seat back, in
conjunction with the split
volume of the seat base,
allows the chair to embrace
the dualities of love and
peace as well as division
and separation.

For 16 consecutive years, Wilsonart has brought its
Wilsonart Challenges program to different universities
across the United States-and this year, for the first
time, one outside of the country. For the 2020 edition
of Wilsonart Challenges, students at the Ryerson
School of Interior Design in Toronto were tasked with
designing a one-of-a-kind chair inspired by the
principles of contemporary art using the Wilsonart
Laminate Collection. Beyond basic forms and function,
designs were also informed by how students used
expressive and stylistic contemporary elements, such
as movement, proportion, contrast, or balance.
The yearlong program, which consists of both
a sponsored class and competition, teaches students
how to design and build a one-of-a-kind chair, as well
as how to prepare for a major trade show. This year,
Wilsonart worked with the Ryerson School of Interior
80

separation-together in one design," Yan says.
"As a design student, most of my designs stay in 2D
drawings, so it was really rewarding to get to see my
initial idea go all the way from 2D design to fabrication,
to a fully realized chair in this class."
Judges noted that Yan's chair strikes the perfect
balance between art and design, while posing the
fundamental questions "Can these seemingly opposite
notions exist together? Going a step further, can they
even exist without each other as conflicting as they
may seem?"
"From a chair that explored the contrasting
relationship between life and death to one which offers
a playful commentary on the history of art and design,
this year's students have beautifully expressed both
Design and the university's Creative Technology
stylistic and functional elements of contemporary
Lab at FCAD, an advanced technology-based workshop art," says Tammy Weadock, communications manager
that supports creative research, specialized curricula,
at Wilsonart. "Contemporary art is an ideal guide point
and entrepreneurship activities across all nine FCAD
for designing with laminate, a modern material
Schools and Ryerson Zones.
that inspires new designs and applications each day."
The winner of this year's competition is
Five other chairs were named as runners-up:
Amy Yan for her design "THE NOT LOVESEAT"-
"WILD" by Brittany Boudreau, "STANCE" by Meredith
a chair inspired by the dualistic nature of human
Davis, "PARADOX" by Monica Beckett, "BALANCING
relationships and architectural volumes. Two curved
ACT" by Alice Sills, and "FRENCH KISS" by Ryan Anning.
seat backs, which look as if they are being stretched
"Ryerson emphasized hands-on knowledge
apart, create a design that could be viewed as both
of materials more than any other school we have ever
a heart and a peace sign-suggesting that the chair
seen," says Grace Jeffers, design historian and
embraces the dualities of love and peace, along with
Wilsonart Challenges program director. "The result
the notions of splitting and separation.
is the outstanding quality in craftsmanship of the final
"My concept was to create a chair that used
chairs." -MEGHAN DWYER
different volumes to playfully represent two seemingly
opposite aspects of human relationships-love and
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Contract Magazine - April/May 2020

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