From Albert Einstein to the Kinks, all have at some point expressed their contempt for bureaucracy. Many also see bureaucracy as a necessary evil, which often acts as a deterrent to evolution by implementing convoluted and obstructive official procedures.

Anything But Red Lamp in the Native Objects collection. Designed by Larry Peh.

Designer Larry Peh who hails from Singapore, a country notorious for its Red Tape, takes up this issue in his creations. His Native Objects Collection consists of works that seek stimulation from cultural prevalence and the mundane. Peh hopes to re-articulate some of his observations into works of art, and hence Native Objects is also a political commentary on the bureaucratic society he resides in.

The Anything But Red Lamp and the Yellow Puff Table are just two of the many objects which comprise the Native Object Collection. The Anything But Red Lamp is a reaction to the repressive creative environment and rigid conformity to formal rules in Singapore. The lamp is made out of rolls of adhesive tape rings in assorted colors, shapes, and sizes – with the exclusion of (you guessed it), RED tape.

“How can we be creative when there is so much red tape in Singapge?” – Larry Peh

The Yellow Puff Table on the other hand satirizes the local smoking laws prevailing in Singapore, which border on the absurd. In Singapore, all outdoors coffee shops need to have an approved smoking area represented by a yellow lined box. I guess the government didn't take into account a little something called second hand smoke!

Of course Peh in his inimitable style makes fun of this rather incongruous rule, hence the conception of the Yellow Puff Table. Yellow Puff is a simple and stylish table with a clear demarcation for one smoking guest. Quite tongue in cheek don't you agree?

Yellow Puff Table in the Native Objects collection. Designed by Larry Peh.

With the Native Objects Collection, designer Larry Peh both presents furniture with deeper cultural meaning, and additionally breaks into the mainstream market quite successfully. The collection is an ironic observation on the Singaporean environment, and yet still manages to appeal to the more global audience. If you ask me, it’s somewhat brilliant.