Asian Style

by Gilles de Bure, Annie Desgrippes (Designer), Frederic Morellec (Photographer)

A ground swell is our shores are about to be swept by Asia. Or the Far East, to be more precise. This book presents an extraordinary vision of the world based on clarity and simplicity, on emotion and reason, on a sensitive yet lofty appreciation of things. Everyday objects such as bowls, baskets and paper display an extreme degree of refinement, shaping a lifestyle in which materials, colors and patterns are interwoven in a wonderfully light and evocative way. This Asian approach to design is so subtle and universal that it will lend harmony and balance to every interior.

MATERIALS
Above all else, materials must be authentic. Wood, lacquer, clay, bamboo, rattan, paper and silk are all crafted, produced and reproduced with constant respect for the essence of each material.

COLORS
Cinnabar red, imperial yellow, sapphire blue, mysterious black-- a subtle symbolism governs the pure, bright colors found throughout the Far East.

PATTERNS
Patterns range from geometric simplicity (point and line, zigzag) to figurative complexity (based on plant and animal motifs) via calligraphy with its highly decorative ideograms.

SHAPES
Highly refined shapes develop a powerful vocabulary of legibility and instant clarity. Yet at the same time they embody a complexity that endows every object with multifaceted appeal.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 1998