Chen Chen & Kai Williams

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Chen Chen & Kai Williams is a design studio that explores materials and new ways to use them. The studio invents new techniques and materials or diverts common industrial supplies to off-label applications.

Chen Chen and Kai Williams met while attending the Pratt Institute and founded the company in New York City in 2011. The studio creates a wide range of products from one-off and limited production collectible works to specialty commercial goods.

Past clients include Whitney Museum, Phillips de Pury, Gagosian, Kvadrat, Shinola and Mission Chinese Food. Presentations of their work have been held at the Museum of Art and Design (USA) and the Venice Architecture Biennale (Italy). Manufacturing partners include Tai Ping Carpets, Areaware and Good Thing.

Material Exploration

The first collaborative project of Chen Chen and Kai Williams was the Cold Cuts Coasters, produced by soaking strips of spandex netting and rope into urethane resin and then wrapping it around a primarily wood core. The resulting log was then sliced on a chop saw and created what had the appearance of a man made agate. This process of hardening fabric and rope to be worked with wood tools was expanded into composite slabs and resin based composites became a signature material for the studio.

Manufacturing Partners

In addition to self production, the studio also designs products for manufacturing partners.

Environments

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Studio Objects

Cold Cuts Coasters

Metamorphic Rock Bookend

Swell Vase