On 16–27 September 2026, local time, the 2026 “Reviving Craft – Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Design” exhibition (“Reviving Craft”), organised by Sun Media Group, will be held at Somerset House in London, UK. Under the theme “Reflection of the Mind” and drawing on Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist thought, the exhibition is arranged into three sections: “Clear the Mind”, “Refine the Mind”, and “Nourish the Mind”. NEODIKO, China's leading name in solid wood integrated full-space furniture solutions, presents its New Song-dynasty contemporary woodwork, conveying Eastern craftsmanship wisdom and contemporary manufacturing expertise to a global audience.
Rooted in the historic city of Xi'an, NEODIKO operates a 180,000-square-metre intelligent garden production centre with four advanced production lines for both customisation and furniture manufacturing. Backed by a network of over 200 distributors worldwide, the brand remains committed to balancing original Eastern aesthetics with international design trends, infusing every piece with its vision of “Harmony in Living”.
On display, NEODIKO follows the creative logic of "capturing the spirit, transcending the form." Rather than replicating the physical forms of Song-dynasty objects, it draws out the spiritual essence of the Song people — restraint, clarity, tranquillity, elegance, and simplicity — adapting it to contemporary living spaces and completing a contemporary translation of traditional aesthetics. Moving beyond a simple display of individual pieces, the exhibition zone brings together the Void Isle, the River-Mirroring Table, the Cloud-Enveloped Chair and the Moon-Glowing Stool to create an immersive space, tracing a spiritual narrative from "Clearing the Mind" to "Refining the Mind" and on to "Nourishing the Mind", and giving expression to the Eastern philosophy of living of "Reflection of the Mind, with Mind and Object in Unity".
The Void Isle takes the Eastern concept of negative space (leaving blank) as its soul. Its petal-shaped tabletop, with edges slightly upturned like ripples on water, echoes the meaning of completeness. Natural marble blends with raw wood; the low center of gravity and soft curves dissolve the cold rigidity of furniture. The coffee table itself is a spiritual void, leaving room for pause and contemplation in daily life, and striking the Eastern charm of "finding tranquillity amidst bustle."
The River-Mirroring Table draws its inspiration from the saying "It passes on just like this, without ceasing," integrating the philosophy of bringing mountains and waters into the table into the tea-tasting space. It uses minimalist lines to outline the beauty of strength characterized by "leanness, uprightness, and vigour." The slender, crisp light-toned wooden tabletop hovers above dark geometric faceted columns, creating a striking visual tension and solid support. Combined with the centrally embedded overflow water trough, still water acts like a mirror, while overflowing water brings a sense of release. The act of tea-tasting mirrors the ripples on the water's surface, weaving the cultivation of the mind into daily tea rituals.
The Cloud-Enveloped Chair does not mimic the form of clouds, yet captures their artistic conception. The curved, enveloping upholstery conforms to the human body; raw wood and rattan latticework interweave the solid and the void. Rigorous mortise-and-tenon craftsmanship constructs a seating experience that is both secure and relaxed, achieving self-settlement through the object.
The Moon-Glowing Stool continues the minimalist elegance of Song style. Its cylindrical form, crafted from vertical wooden lattice, allows light and shadow to filter through and shift freely. Without any additional light source, it outlines the silhouette of an "empty moon" within the space, subtly echoing the nourishing principle of "warming oneself through reflection."
Through these four pieces, NEODIKO offers a complete translation of the exhibition's theme, “Reflection of the Mind”: beginning with the object to clear the mind, entering the scene to refine the self, and returning to life to arrive, ultimately, at Mind and Object in Unity. With its arrival in London, NEODIKO carries Eastern woodcraft onto the world stage, demonstrating that traditional aesthetics are not relics of a bygone era but a living force that can be woven into contemporary global life. In doing so, the brand showcases to the world the cultural confidence and craftsmanship of a Chinese furniture brand.
© Affaires Officielles