Bamboo Mood: Jiang Qiong Er Blends French Art de Vivre X Chinese Culture in Roche Bobois Collaboration

Written by Fête Chinoise Editorial Team (Kayla Lo)
IMage Courtesy of Roche BobOis, Stevens Frémont

What’s the mood of bamboo? In her latest collaboration with French Luxury Lifestyle Brand Roche Bobois, renowned Chinese designer Jiang Qiong Er 蔣瓊耳 has beautifully captured the French Art de Vivre and Oriental Spirits and fashioned an environment that blends comfort with aesthetic allure. The exclusive preview showroom unveiled during Milan Fashion Week showcased another innovative fusion of Chinese elements into home décor.

Design is all about experiences and emotions, transcending cultural backgrounds. In this insightful interview, Jiang shares her relationship with art, her approach to integrating Chinese culture into her creative process, and introduces her latest interior design lineup with Roche Bobois, Bamboo Mood.

The designer’s maternal grandfather, Jiang Xuanyi 蔣玄怡, was a pioneering artist who studied abroad and contributed to the introduction of Western oil painting to China. His influence on Jiang and her brother is profound, instilling in them the enduring qualities of humility and generosity essential for artists.

As a contemporary and innovative artist and designer, Jiang's philosophy, rooted in beauty and emotion, shines through. Her unique perspective on the international stage is a result of her deep roots in Chinese traditions, combined with a thorough understanding of Western design language and culture, cultivated through her studies in France.

“Root is very important,” says the designer, “The more contemporary and avant-garde you go, the more important that root becomes. How deep you're rooted determines how far you can go and how high you can fly.” And her years in France allowed her to believe that everything is possible.

Committed to reviving traditional Chinese craftsmanship, she has been constantly pushing forward with her creative endeavours, including the founding of the Chinese contemporary clothing and lifestyle brand Shang Xia 上下 with Hermès in 2009. Her artistic creations are highly regarded and collected by prestigious institutions worldwide, namely the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Musée national des Arts Asiatiques – Guimet in Paris.

In collaboration with Roche Bobois, known for celebrating diversity, heritage, and dialogue, Jiang introduces the "Bamboo Mood" lifestyle collection. Bamboo, deeply ingrained in Chinese arts and culture, symbolizes virtues such as integrity, resilience, elegance, and loyalty. Throughout her creative process, Jiang focuses on time and emotion, which she describes as “two brushes” in her mind.

Instead of directly referencing the image of the subject, she highlights the spirit that embodies its qualities and melodies. Drawing inspiration from bamboo's intrinsic material qualities—its flexibility and versatility—and the morals it symbolises, Jiang incorporates them into her designs. And while infusing subtle oriental touches, there are no direct elements or references. "It's in the melody, the imagination, and the colour."

“BAMBOO HAS ALWAYS FASCINATED ME. ELEGANT, RESILIENT, FLUID, AND PEACEFUL, IT COUNTERS STRONG WINDS WITH INSOLENCE AND PLAY.

BAMBOO BENDS BUT DOES NOT BREAK. IT WHISPERS, TREMBLES, FILTERS THE LIGHT, AND PLAYS WITH SHADOW. TIMELESS. IT MAY SEEM FRAGILE, YET IT PROVIDES SCAFFOLDING FOR THE WORLD’S TALLEST SKYSCRAPERS.

I DESIGNED THIS NEW BAMBOO-INSPIRED COLLECTION AS AN INVITATION TO TRAVEL; AN INEXHAUSTIBLE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, POETRY, AND DREAMS.”

—JIANG QIONG ER

The collection features furniture pieces designed to redefine living spaces. One of the highlights is the screen, which is iconic in the Chinese decorative arts and also functional in defining spaces, that has been designed to be perforated with graceful lines that reflect bamboo’s hollow interior and tall, straight stems. Jiang plays a twist on the traditional furniture intended for privacy into pieces that promote dialogue between spaces. A console with the same bamboo pattern as its base was designed in mind to pair up the screens. 

Harmony and balance, fundamental concepts in Chinese culture, are apparent in the collection. While the screens and consoles boast defined lines inspired by bamboo, the sofa offers plump, soft headrests for cosy comfort in bamboo stretch fabrics, and softens the space with its curvy and embracing lines. 

A lacquered cocktail table, reminiscent of a cut bamboo stem, features a removable embedded vase for added functionality and aesthetic appeal, to make the table blend in more harmoniously while connecting to the appearance of the table. In Jiang’s words, “One flower, one branch, presenting a universe.” 

A sizeable rug from the collection, crafted from wool and bamboo, depicts "bamboo stems dancing” and adds vibrancy to the space. With a detail-minded colour palette such as pairing low-saturated celadon green and imperial coral reds, the collection exudes elegance and playfulness while reflecting consideration in comfort, proportion, and techniques, which made every piece in the collection speak to each other and infused the oriental spirit.

Through this collaboration, Jiang once again bridges the gap between the East and the West, infusing each piece with emotions and cultural significance. The collection is set to launch worldwide in fall 2024, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the serene and inspiring ambience of bamboo.

The designer's latest monumental installation, "Guardians of Time," is now on display at Musée Guimet until February 2025. This installation takes over the museum with a modern and imaginative interpretation of Chinese cultural and mythological symbols, adorning the space with the vibrant colors of China and creating a bridge between past and present. Visible even from the Eiffel Tower, Jiang invites everyone to pay a visit when they are in Paris.

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