SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT

The plastic chair is an essential part of everyday life in Cambodia. From a street side breakfast stall, to the local neighbourhood shop, to the beach these chairs are found everywhere, in every colour, shape and size. Its ironic that my disgust for plastic doesn’t extend to this iconic chair. To me it isn’t just a simple chair but a tool for meeting and entertaining. It enables community get-togethers and family gatherings. It’s a vehicle for sociability that benefits every demographic, from the bustling urban cities to the quiet rural villages. It enables people to talk, share and most importantly, sit down. The resilience of the Cambodian people are mirrored in these objects. Nothing is thrown away or wasted, not when it can be expertly fixed with some rope or length of blue pipe. These chairs will keep going strong for as long as they are looked after – until they become micro-plastic dust. This to me is so admirable and a way of living we must all aspire to. So this body of work is my simple love letter to the humble yet significant plastic chair and the colourful, vital role it plays in all of our daily lives.