Ukifune 浮舟

Ukifune
By Johnny Chen & Andy Cheng & Mark Lo
Materials: Hakushu soil, stainless steel

Named after the Japanese word "Ukifune"—meaning "floating boat" or "drifting bridge"—this table is a meditation on impermanence, balance, and the quiet tension between heaviness and lightness. A collaboration between metal artist Johnny Chen, designer Andy Cheng and Master Craftsman Mark Lo, Ukifune challenges conventional form through its seemingly weightless structure.

The table juxtaposes raw Hakushu soil—a material rich in history and earthbound symbolism—with the precision and modernity of stainless steel. Together, these elements evoke the contrast between nature and structure, softness and permanence. Its suspended silhouette appears to float, defying gravity and expectation, inviting the viewer to contemplate stillness amidst motion, and strength within fragility.

Ukifune is not just a piece of furniture—it is an object of reflection, an ephemeral crossing between the material and the poetic.