saran yen panya: cheap ass elites

‘cheap ass elites’ basket chairs by saran yen panya

swedish designer saran yen panya‘s ‘cheap ass elites’ is a chair installation which criticizes what is socially considered ‘high’ and ‘low’ in regards to design.

designer’s own words: ‘combining mass-produced household objects and plastic elements the installation sarcastically illustrates and questions what society’s indoctrination is really built on. this project is a critique on the gap between the rich and the poor, good taste and bad taste and social hierarchy in modern society. for this project, the chair was a perfect object in aspects of both function and communication. the object itself represents different hierarchies and tastes clearly in its usage and esthetic. therefore, the designs are a blunt and sarcastic juxtaposition between rich and classical elements such as the louis armchair, ottoman chair, or the styles of william morris, with low-taste elements such as mass-produced plastic appliances, common household items, working class objects etc. the clash of classes is simply shown, yet portrays the idealistic society where the rich and poor merge. the chairs are comprised of ‘low’ common household plastic objects – storage and laundry baskets – as the seating (back, base and arms), the lower part of the chair a simplified version of those stereotypical upper class chairs made out of wood.’

medium basket chair: bronze