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PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT FROM FACA STUDENTS IN THE MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR (MIFF) 2018.
Article prepare and edit by Dr Musdi Shanat and Ms Karen Audrey
Malaysia International Furniture Fair (MIFF) 2018 showcase to include UNIMAS’ Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts’ student creations. Five students from the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts (FACA) were chosen to showcase their furniture prototypes at the Malaysia International Furniture Fair (MIFF), held from 8 to 11 March 2018 at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur. MIFF is the largest exhibition for Malaysia's world-renowned wood furniture and is a market place for high quality home and office furniture that caters to global tastes and budgets.
UNIMAS staffs and students at the Malaysia International Furniture Fair (MIFF), MITEC Kuala Lumpur
The second-year students from FACA’s Design Technology Programme who participated in the MIFF exhibition also participated in an in-house furniture design competition jointly organized by UNIMAS’ Institute of Design and Innovation (iNDI) and PUSAKA last year (2017), under the ‘Kursi PUSAKA-UNIMAS’ grant. The in-house competition was held with the aim of promoting new design ideas for commercial furniture and to establish a distinct Sarawakian identity in the furniture industry.
Associate Professor Dr. Musdi Shanat, who initiated the UNIMAS in-house competition, believes that the university should encourage students to participate in international events not only for exposure but also to tap into the university’s talent pool in order to nurture professional designers for the creative industry after their graduation. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr Musdi Shanat, though this competition was held in-house, the judging criteria followed international standards and three professional judges/jurors from the industry were invited to judge the designs.
The five UNIMAS student entries at the MIFF 2018 embodied the ‘living furniture’ concept, which emphasises local content, form, symbolism and meaning. They are:-
- ‘Midin Rack’ designed by Lee Jan Bo. This piece was inspired by the exotic local plant and vegetable known as Midin.
- ‘Borneo Coffee Table’ designed by Muhammad Indrianto bin Mas’ud. The pattern on the tabletop is inspired by Iban tribal designs.
- ‘Nexus Coffee Table’ designed by Daeng Mohamad Khairul. The design’s metaphor is inspired by the Rafflesia flower. The table’s unique shape and pattern add impact to the design.
- ‘Terendak Side Table’ designed by Queeny Loy Lim Yee. The ‘Terendak Side Table’ is inspired by the traditional Melanau conical hat, or Terendak. The design is ideal for homeowners with small spaces, who do not want to sacrifice their affinity for traditional and unique décor.
- ‘Mengkuang Tallboy’ designed by Siti Nurhasyikin Binti Mohd Sabri. The tallboy is designed in the triangular shape and the Mengkuang Mat is applied to enhance the local flavour in the concept for this piece.
‘Nexus Coffee Table’ designed by Daeng Mohamad Khairul |
‘Terendak Side Table’ designed by Queeny Loy Lim Yee |
‘Mengkuang Tallboy’ designed by Siti Nurhasyikin Binti Mohd Sabri |
‘Midin Rack’ designed by Lee Jan Bo |
‘Borneo Coffee Table’ designed by Muhammad Indrianto bin Mas’ud |
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