Kiam Yoong initially made contemporary
furniture as a hobby. He was later inspired by the
book entitled Classic Chinese Furniture by Wang Shixiang
and was overwhelmed by the beauty, elegance and intricacy
of the pieces presented in the book. After that moment
he was determined to utilise his woodworking skills
in recreating the beauty, elegance and intricacy of
the pieces presented in the book. Kiam does not believe
in pure reproduction but rather, the inspiration and
commitment to the classical Chinese furniture style
laid the path for Kiam to utilize his skills in bringing
the designs to life. The recreation of this past grandeur
is his ultimate goal and each piece is unique from
wood selection to the construction.
Untrained in furniture making, Kiam learned the art
from reading books, scrutinizing antique Chinese furniture,
and by restoring pieces brought to him. In this way
he is now able to reproduce classic Chinese furniture
that is authentic in style and construction, free
from any influence of the present reproduction Chinese
furniture industry.
In 1991 Kiam emigrated to Melbourne, Australia and
found greater fulfillment in his creations, fueled
by the wide range of beautiful local and imported
timber and the availability of tools. He has since
created pieces that would be considered as being of
excellent standard as that produced during the Golden
Age (Ming and early Qing Dynasties) of classical Chinese
hardwood furniture. He has gained recognition demonstrated
through commissions, news reviews and major awards.
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