Meet Yue (Joy) Zhuo | Object Designer & Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yue (Joy) Zhuo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yue (Joy), let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I am typically motivated by things from my daily life, especially social media. Due to COVID-19, I must spend the most of my time at home, therefore I have few opportunity to go out and seek inspiration or interact with people in person. Many of my creations, for instance, are inspired by short videos on TIKTOK or popular videos on YouTube. For example, my Swing Ray Side Table, I found an account on TikTok that constructed a small floating contraption from a cigarette case and a few fishing lines. Then I wondered whether it would be cool to increase the structure to the size of a piece of furniture. Then, I created the Swing Ray Side Table. Another example is my most recent work, Utopian Fantasy. I came found a reference to the children’s film “Finding Nemo” while browsing Instagram one day and decided to watch it again later. After a second viewing of the film, I was intrigued by the humanistic features and the qualities that could have created these creatures, which were halfway between animal and human. It was as if a utopian ideal had come to life, and I concluded there and then that everything in this film was true. I decided to use my designs to create my aquatic utopia.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I believe furniture and objects to be the essence of a space. If architecture is the container, then furniture is the container’s airflow. Air is incompatible with life, and vice versa. We are unable to exist without furniture. People, however, tend to view furniture as a non-essential aspect of life, similar to how you may forget the existence of oxygen at times. I believe it is essential to light a scented candle in your room and fill it with nice furnishings. Why must furniture be constructed as it is? Who defines it? Why must a chair have four legs and a single backrest? Why can just one individual use an ottoman? Why? I despise the ordinary, and I dislike introducing restraints and limitations to my creations. I desire for my designs to be unique. The human body interacts with furniture on a daily basis. However, the majority of a home’s furniture serves solely to support the body or other things. I would like my furniture to provide both support and a platform for play.
I create furniture and other handicrafts to demonstrate my utopian ideals to others. I hope that people’ interactions with my furniture and products inspire them to conceive of great things. When individuals are incorporated into my works of fiction, they become an intrinsic component of the fantasy. My work is a non-player character (NPC) in a utopian dream I created. Constantly, my work is biological, humanistic, and interactive. They find their inspiration in nature and daily life. This collection demonstrates my appreciation for the internet and the water. My designs foster connection and playfulness. Explore one of my items for a few seconds, test it, and engage with it, and it will gladly demonstrate its knowledge. My furniture’s utility develops through play while interacting with those nearby. I enjoy infusing my work with a sense of surprise, comedy, engagement, and effective communication. I want those who engage with my artwork to exclaim, “How delightful!”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a 100% foodie. I highly recommend Chinatown, Los Angeles. In this Chinatown, as in many others in the United States, there are numerous traditional and authentic Chinese restaurants that have been in business for decades. Without a doubt, the thing I miss most about my homeland is the food, so whenever I need to recharge my oriental gene, I will head to Chinatown and enjoy a fantastic meal with my friends. Also, if my friend comes to visit me in Los Angeles, I will take them to Chinatown first.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shoutout to my best friend, Muchen Wang. She is an excellent painter and writer. We had been roommates in our first year of college and had known each other for nearly a decade. It was our first time studying and living abroad without the support of family and friends. We support one another in times of difficulty. I can still recall our first year living in a dorm, when she would knock on my door at least three times a day with a bowl of food she had prepared, making me feel pampered and at home. She also assists me greatly in my creative endeavors: if I run out of ideas for a new project, she is always willing to brainstorm with me and encourage me to come up with new ones. Muchen Wang, if you are reading this (which I know you will), I just wanted to say thank you and that I am very grateful to have you as my best friend!

Website: https://www.joyzhuo.com/

Instagram: @cereallll_