By: Chenyang Nie
At the 2025 edition of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), Brooklyn-based designer and artist Kewei Zhao unveiled four remarkable works under her studio, Studio ZKW. Together, they embody Zhao’s distinctive design philosophy—where material innovation, refined craftsmanship, and an experimental approach to furniture’s function and form converge. Her work is conceptually rigorous yet always imbued with a sense of beauty and warm narrative.
Founded in 2024, Studio ZKW is Zhao’s independent platform for cross-disciplinary exploration across furniture, sculpture, painting, and product design. With a background in Industrial Design from the China Academy of Art and an MFA in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, Zhao grounds her practice in intensive craft, material experimentation, and a profound sensitivity to space and form.
Among the four works presented at ICFF, two highlight Zhao’s sewn wood veneer technique, while the other two reimagine the symbolic and tactile presence of wood through solid hardwood construction. One of the most talked-about pieces, Brooklyn Brick, draws direct inspiration from the layered architecture of Zhao’s Brooklyn surroundings. “Bricks shape the physical world around us,” she notes, “but this ‘Brick’ invites you to build your own space.” Constructed from stitched slivers of wood veneer, the surface mimics the varied textures of brick façades—where thread becomes mortar, and veneer becomes structure. The result is a rhythmic and reflective object, grounded in place and memory. Extending this narrative is Take A Break, a transformable shelf-and-bench set that plays with the phonetic closeness of “brick” and “break.” Visually echoing brick textures, the piece invites interaction—one segment can be removed and used as a bench, creating a moment of pause. It embodies Zhao’s interest in softness within structure, offering rest and responsiveness in a format often defined by rigidity.
The remaining two pieces—Lucky Four and The Tree Heart—are solid wood coffee tables, each imbued with symbolic meaning and material storytelling. Lucky Four pairs African Bubinga (Guibourtia coleosperma) and African Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii), two species often mistaken for one another but possessing contrasting hues and grain. The table takes its name from the rare four-leaf clover, a symbol of good fortune. Just as these woods coexist in quiet harmony, Zhao’s composition celebrates balance, rarity, and auspicious beginnings. “May this table bring you a bit of luck along the journey,” she says. In contrast, The Tree Heart speaks to regeneration. Made from curly cherry wood, the table mimics the shape of a natural tree stump with a softly curved top and subtly sunken leg structure. Rather than viewing the felled tree as an end, Zhao frames it as rebirth. “The stump becomes a symbol of renewal—a tree heart,” she explains, “representing the nature spirit and, perhaps, ourselves.” This piece invites open interaction: as a table, stool, or simply a grounding presence in the home.
Zhao’s sewn veneer technique, featured in Brooklyn Brick and Take A Break, lies at the core of her material philosophy. Unlike traditional veneer applications—glued and pressed flat—her approach treats veneer as textile: bending, stitching, and layering it to create dimensional, fluid forms. This hybrid materiality dissolves the boundary between hard and soft, structure and skin.
The resulting surfaces are richly textured, tactile, and intimately expressive—breaking from the austerity often seen in contemporary furniture design. More than aesthetic innovation, Zhao’s method introduces a new material vocabulary rooted in craftsmanship yet reaching toward the future. Her work resists mass production in favor of slow, embodied making—inviting viewers and users alike to pause, reflect, and engage.
Zhao’s contributions to the field have garnered international recognition. She was named among the Top 50 Designers at the Hangzhou International Expo in 2020 and has received numerous honors, including the A’ Design Award, NY Product Design Award, and SIT Furniture Design Award. Her continued presence at ICFF in both 2024 and 2025 affirms her growing voice in the global design community.
Through Studio ZKW, Zhao is not simply producing objects—she is crafting narratives. Whether rendered through thread and veneer or carved from solid wood, her works speak of place, transformation, and care. In a time marked by speed and disposability, Zhao offers something enduring: quiet, deliberate design that reconnects us with material, meaning, and self.
