His name is Chen Hualiang and he is a post-80s product designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins, a prestigious art and design college in the UK.
Abroad, he often hears negative comments about Chinese design from foreigners who say that Chinese brands are not up to scratch and Made in China is inferior and copycat. On one occasion, even at the world’s largest light show, some of the show staff refused to introduce him to good products because he was Chinese, which made it very difficult for Chen Hualiang. So, after graduating and returning to China, he founded his own design brand MODGEN, a design brand that insists on original design, insists and makes good Chinese products and insists on creating a more beautiful home life. Through his efforts, Chen Hualiang hopes to prove to foreigners the strength of Chinese design.
Aroma is MODGEN’s first product after its establishment. It is a lamp and a fragrance dispenser: full glass shade + tungsten bulb + essential oil pool, using the bulb to emit heat and make the essential oil evaporate to achieve the effect of aromatherapy. A scent lamp like this is not only convenient and safe, it’s also silent! It allows one to experience an unprecedented sense of peace and well-being at the moment of embracing light and fragrance.
In 2015, the first year MODGEN entered the domestic market, it won the world’s most prestigious design award, the “Good Design China” award, initiated by the German Red Dot Award organisation, of which the Aroma scent lamp was one of the winners. In addition to this, the design was also patented for its appearance and function. With this work, Chen Hualiang has gained recognition in foreign design circles, and both he and his work represent the voice of Chinese design in foreign markets.
The award for the Aroma scented lamp was no accident. Unlike many Chinese designs that focus on concave shapes, the mainstream of contemporary design is still the minimalist style represented by Scandinavian design, which focuses on functionality and durability. Chen Hualiang also believes that design should be simple and elegant, with clean lines and a focus on material selection, and that a proper balance should be struck between beauty and function. His years of education and design concepts have been brought to life in the Aroma Scent Lamp. To express his design philosophy in full and to set the benchmark for future MODGEN products, the entire team has spent almost no expense on the development of the Aroma Scent Lamp.
The most distinctive feature of the Aroma scent lamp is the choice of glass, a natural material, to create a black colour, creating a slightly dusky lighting atmosphere, while using the tungsten bulb to emit heat and encourage the evaporation of essential oils to achieve an aromatic effect, cleverly combining the functions of a lamp and a scent dispenser.
The mushroom-shaped outer shade is made entirely of glass and hand-blown in one piece by experienced craftsmen. During the blowing process, the hand is constantly rotating the cylinder to avoid losing the glass solution, using the viscous flow of the glass to shape it, thus making it quite difficult. The size and thickness of the glass container and the shape of the vessel are controlled by the amount of air blown, the degree of urgency and the speed of rotation of the cylinder, so each one is unique.
Glass is prone to air bubbles during the hand-blowing process, but under MODGEN’s strict control, no more than three bubbles visible to the naked eye appear in the entire glass shade, which is very translucent.
To make it look even better, the outside of the shade is hand-painted to give it a smoky effect. The lacquer used is a water-based lacquer for glassware, which is safe and environmentally friendly. After painting, the shade is baked at 180 degrees Celsius to lock the colour in place so that it stays on for a long time. Because of the mushroom shape, it is a lot of work to achieve an even colour.
The slender bulb is even more difficult to make. They are smaller in diameter than normal bulbs, and when lit and heated up, the filament can easily arc from filament to filament, which can break the switch. But after repeated trials and upgrades the bulb does not, it is more stable and has a long life.
The outside of the bulb is a columnar glass shade with a sandblasted surface so that the light spreads evenly and the light is softer and less harsh.
The place to put the essential oil is on top of the outer shade. It is made from aircraft grade aluminium, which is lightweight, durable and conducts heat quickly.
The production process is very meticulous and every curve is perfect, with a maximum error of 0.01mm. It is then polished to a smooth mirror finish and finally plated with a special water-soluble paint for perfume bottles, which is not easily discoloured and will last as long as new.
It is also very simple to use: first add a few drops of essential oil to the pool, dilute with water, then close the lid and turn on the power switch. The heat is then transferred to the oil cell via the hot spot at the top and the oil starts to evaporate.
The intensity of the light is the control of the atmosphere and the switch on the Aroma light also adjusts the brightness of the light, while the higher the brightness, the higher the temperature and the more intense the fragrance.
The power cable is made of two-core double-insulated red polyester braid, which is well insulated and safe, but also has a low resistance and is very energy efficient.
The base is also thoughtfully laminated with a fleece fabric that is non-slip and scratch resistant.
With 11 parts combined and 3 highly crafted difficult points undergoing hundreds of hours of testing, every step of the process is just right. These small details are the result of MODGEN’s deadly dedication to the product all the way through.
A lamp made with care like this, with different essential oils, can accompany you in many things. With peppermint and rosemary essential oils you can refresh your mind and work with you to catch up on your work; with lavender essential oil you can soothe and calm your mind and improve insomnia; with sandalwood essential oil you can also meditate and cultivate your body.
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Bedroom, living room, study …… You can put it anywhere to keep you company.
With such a heartfelt design, doesn’t it make you feel treated with care too?
