(Air)Just by E Ian Siew
How did your shift from designing medical devices to designing lighting and furniture come about?
The transition was actually quite natural. It was all driven by the material itself. With Auxobrace, I was approaching inflatables strictly from the lens of an engineer. I understood air at a technical level where I was calculating pressure and constraints for rehabilitation. But during the countless hours spent prototyping, I began to see something else. I realised that air wasn't just a clinical tool; it had a unique character. I became fascinated by the way air creates tension and structure, and, as a designer, I wanted to move beyond just solving a medical problem and instead find a way to express that structural 'magic' to a wider audience. In this context, household objects were the perfect medium.
What is it that appeals to you in working with … air?
To me, air is a fascinating medium because it is the very foundation of our existence. It is the invisible conduit for our senses. It carries sound, smell and temperature, acting as the medium through which we perceive and establish a relationship with our environment. It protects us, surrounds us and literally flows through us.
I find this abundance inspiring and in my work, I am essentially regulating atmospheric pressure to transform this invisible gas into tangible, rigid structures. From a design perspective, the material properties are just as compelling. Pressurised inflatables offer an incredible rigidity-to-weight ratio that you cannot find in traditional solid materials. They allow me to create objects that are voluminous and strong in form, yet lightweight and transient. This creates so many new opportunities for structural creation that simply aren't possible with standard furniture materials.
What inspires the forms of your (AIR)JUST designs?
I deliberately choose simple geometries because I want the focus to be on the interaction rather than the intricacy of the shape itself. If the form is too complex, it distracts from the physics at play. For (Air)ssembly, the bladder is a basic oval paired with 'quiet' solid components – a round rim and three legs. This simplicity allows the user to witness the real phenomenon: how pressurised air creates enough outward force to generate friction and hold the joinery together. It is the same with (Air)just. It consists of a simple tube-like bladder and a V-stand with a cutout. The form is minimal so that the focus remains on how the bladder nestles into the hole to secure itself. For Lumin(Air), the shapes are simple 2D outlines. This was a functional choice to achieve that specific morphing action where the object emerges from a flat wall into a 3D form.
Aesthetically, I am heavily inspired by the Radical Design era of the 1960s. I love the space age and pop culture aesthetics seen in works like the Blow Armchair by Zanotta or Quasar Khanh's aerospace collection. That era focused on inflatables as standalone objects and the twist I want to present is that air doesn't have to work alone. I use inflatables in tandem with other solid materials to realise an object. This mirrors my view that air is not just an isolated material, but something that constantly interacts with our environment and our ability to live and breathe.
Something else that really appeals to us about your designs is that they must be so light and easy to ship. Was this front of mind for you when designing?
Absolutely. That is the inherent beauty of designing with air. I don't have to overthink the logistics of shipping because I'm only transporting the 'skin' and the 'bones'. The main volume of the furniture is sourced right in the user's living room.
What I love most is that it requires no tools other than the user themselves. Each piece comes with a simple hand pump, so the assembly becomes this direct, physical interaction. You just pump until the bladder is rigid, and the object takes shape.
It allows for a universality that is really freeing. It doesn't matter where you are in the world; the air is there, and the system works. (Unless, of course, you are on top of Mount Everest or deep underwater where the atmospheric pressure changes things, but that is a topic for another day!)
Your colour palette is very simple. Deliberately so?
It's a very conscious choice. I try to stick to a strict monochrome palette for now. I use white for the inflatable bladder and black for the remaining rigid geometry.
The goal is to highlight the form without distraction. I want to preserve that distinct, bulbous quality that inflatables naturally have and by keeping the colours plain, the physical details like creases and tension lines become much more obvious. It gives the object a certain character. It feels 'alive' because those creases and bulges shift and change slightly with every use. The simple palette acts as a canvas to capture those fleeting moments of tension.
Do you have plans to make your lamps or stool commercially available?
I'm currently exploring the best options and materials to make these designs commercially viable, with a specific focus on the (Air)just lamp. It's a process of refining the production to ensure consistency and durability. In the meantime, I am taking a more personal approach. I am open to small batch orders through direct message, and will always be happy to discuss the work with interested parties to help bring a piece of this phenomena into people's homes.
