Recently, a Guangdong design team integrated Cantonese elements into modern office chairs, winning the German Red Dot Design Award, often called the "Oscar of the design world", and redefining how Cantonese furniture makes its debut. Named "LegEase Pro," this butterfly ergonomic chair was created by the Li Jing Cantonese Furniture Skills Master Studio at Guangdong Eco-Engineering Polytechnic. It stood out among global entries in the category of Home, Office and Commercial Furniture of the 2025 Red Dot Design Award, marking the first time Cantonese hardwood furniture has appeared on a top-tier international design stage in the form of modern office chairs.

The core of the award lies in the deep integration of traditional craftsmanship and modern design. Dr. Li Jing, head of the studio, studied under a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Cantonese hardwood furniture making skills and possesses profound expertise in the proportions and mortise-and-tenon techniques of traditional furniture. Li has long upheld the design mission of "bringing Cantonese furniture into contemporary life". Established at the end of 2022, the studio not only connects with the entire forestry industry chain to promote industry-education integration, but also revitalizes Cantonese furniture craftsmanship within campus inheritance and community service through public cultural programs and competitions.

The innovation of "LegEase Pro" lies in its modern reinterpretation of the butterfly motif, a symbol of auspiciousness in Cantonese furniture. The design team abstracted the lines and reconfigured the proportions of the traditional pattern, integrating the "fluttering wings" silhouette into the mechanical structure of the chair's backrest and armrests, unifying decoration and function. At the same time, strict ergonomic principles were applied to optimize long-term seating support and breathability. This design preserves the essence of Lingnan woodcraft while delivering the comfort and practicality expected of modern office furniture.

"Inheritance should not mean clinging to the past, and innovation should never forget its roots," Li said. Looking ahead, the studio will continue exploring contemporary expressions of Cantonese furniture, deepen industrial collaboration and innovation, and guide students to understand the modern value of traditional craftsmanship, bringing Lingnan woodwork to a broader world.

广东凳，这回在国际设计界“坐稳”了

近日，广东设计团队让广式元素融入现代办公椅，摘下有“设计界奥斯卡”之称的德国红点奖，改写了广式家具的出场方式。这款名为“LegEase Pro”的蝴蝶纹人体工学椅，出自广东生态工程职业学院李静广式家具技能大师工作室，在2025年红点奖家居、办公及商业家具类别中，从全球作品中脱颖而出，也是广式硬木家具首次以现代办公椅形态登上国际顶级设计舞台。

获奖的核心，是传统技艺与现代设计的深度融合。工作室负责人李静博士师从广式硬木家具制作技艺省级非遗传承人，深谙传统家具的造型比例与榫卯精髓，“让广式家具走进当代生活”是其坚守的设计命题。2022年底成立的工作室，不仅对接林业全产业链推动产教融合，还通过公共文化项目、赛事活动等，让广式家具技艺在校园传承与社会服务中焕新。

“LegEase Pro”的创新之处在于，将广式家具中寓意吉祥的蝴蝶纹进行现代转译：设计团队对传统纹样做线条抽象与比例重构，把“振翅”轮廓融入椅背与扶手的力学结构，让装饰与功能合二为一；同时严格遵循人体工学，优化久坐支撑与透气性，既保留岭南木作神韵，又兼具现代办公家具的舒适实用。

“传承不守旧，创新不忘本。”李静表示，未来工作室将继续探索广式家具的当代表达，深化产业协同创新，引导学生理解传统技艺的当代价值，让岭南木作走向更广阔的世界。

文｜记者 许敏 通讯员 刘奕帆
图｜通讯员供
翻译｜盛嘉
审校｜林佳岱