Hui Kao's has created the Paper Pleats furniture collection from paper bound with rice glue, which was developed as a result of the designer's sensitivity to chemicals and desire to create recyclable products.
The collection includes stools, coffee tables, a dining table set, shelving, a space divider and a ceiling lamp.
Every piece is made from tracing paper that is soaked in rice water that acts like glue, binding the sheets of paper together.
As the paper absorbs the water it shrinks and wrinkles, helping to create a strong, rigid structure once the material dries out.
To create objects that can support significant weight, the designer creates lots of irregular tubes of paper, which are then bound together by the rice water. The final effect is objects that look fragile but are surprisingly strong.
