FLOWER OF LIFE
Art Installation
Beijing Design Week

C L O U D I




The Flower of Life is a collaboration between the US and the Canadian sustainability design hub, We-Impact. We were given free rein to create a symbol that gracefully ties into the concept of recycling discarded materials. One spring day in Beijing, the Chrysanthemum flower, native to China and traditionally symbolizing luck and fortune, inspired me to pursue this idea. We found a local factory specializing in making outdoor tent structural poles and decided to recycle over 300 defective anodized gold aluminum poles. These poles, with their sub-standard finishing and structural weaknesses, were not sellable in the market.
At the base of this design is an MDF composition in a circular form, with an abundance of holes drilled into the structure to accommodate the poles. Once the laborious task of inserting all the poles was completed, the natural gravitational pull made them resemble petals of a flower, each standing approximately 3.3 meters high. The next step was to collect used candle holders from an abandoned glass factory outside Beijing. We meticulously hung many of these candle holders, complete with actual candles, onto the poles. Finally, to stabilize the pole structure, we tied each of them with red string, dedicating the symbolism of luck and fortune represented by gold and red into the design itself1.
During the Beijing Design Week, the gentle wind swayed each of the poles in a serene manner, inviting visitors to enter the center of the flower, meditate, and sit there. Unlike most installations that year, our entire design utilized natural elements without any electrical supplies, relying solely on candle lighting to project an image of sustainability.
During the design event, I remember seeing many advanced materials like carbon and titanium 3D printing, as well as the latest LED lighting projections in many of the pavilions. In an interview, I mentioned that we wanted to go old school and low-tech to differentiate ourselves, aiming for complete sustainability with nature. Some audience members affectionately called us the "hippie stand," a label that made us proud.