An internationally celebrated multidisciplinary designer, Olivia Lee is known for her poetic yet precise approach that spans conceptual design, product innovation, scenography, and immersive experiences. With formal training from Central Saint Martins and a foundation in industrial design, her work balances rigour with narrative—earning the trust of global names like Hermès, Cartier, and Vacheron Constantin.
This year, Lee presents Matahari—a solar cooker rooted in Southeast Asian material vernacular that asks us to reconsider sustainability not as a futuristic fantasy, but as a renewed tradition.
GRAZIA Singapore (GS): Matahari beautifully bridges ancient traditions with contemporary design. What initially inspired you to explore solar cooking through this lens?
Olivia Lee (OL): Among the key themes of the Future Impact showcase, it felt like the right moment to respond meaningfully to sustainability—through a lens that felt authentic and true to my practice. I wanted to spotlight Singapore’s solar potential in a way that feels relatable and human-scaled. So, I created a solar cooker that not only speaks to our clean energy ambitions but also honours the Southeast Asian culinary traditions that shape our everyday lives.
Matahari invites a broader reflection on the Sun’s role as both an ancient power and a futuristic source of energy. Located along the equator, Singapore receives an average solar irradiance of 1,500 kWh/m² annually. By reframing offgrid, analogue technology, Matahari becomes both a commentary on sustainability and a reminder that the Sun’s power—limitless and ever-present—has always been within our reach.
GS: You describe Matahari as an object that “transcends time.” What do you hope people feel or reflect on when they interact with it?
OL: I spent a great deal of time refining the details of the solar cooker, drawing from local food vessels like tingkats, earthenware pots, and charcoal burners. It’s an homage to our multicultural food landscape in Singapore.
Matahari is also inspired by the ’80s and ’90s, when grandmothers—mine included—would set up red clay charcoal burners in HDB corridors, quietly double-boiling soup, stewing curry, grilling otak, or rolling love letters. That era is fading, and I wanted to pay tribute to it. Solar cooking lends itself to a similar mindful, time-honoured way of preparing food—one that’s already deeply embedded in Southeast Asian culture. I hope people see both the past and the future in Matahari.
GS: Your work often explores immersive experiences and storytelling. Would you say Matahari is as much a narrative object as it is a functional one?
OL: Absolutely. Much of my work uses design to explore what the world could be. Design has the power to give form to the imagined—to turn abstract narratives into something tangible. I believe it’s important for my work to be both functional and grounded in a compelling story. That’s what gives new ideas weight and credibility, especially in the realm of speculative design. Matahari is a very real object, grounded in the principles of off-grid solar cooking. But it’s also a conceptual design—one that challenges our perceptions of modern and historical artefacts, while inviting conversation around clean energy and climate change.
GS: As we are celebrating SG60 this year, how do you think Singapore’s design scene has evolved over the years?
OL: I’m incredibly proud to return to Salone del Mobile 2025 after a pandemic-induced hiatus. It’s especially meaningful to come back during SG60. The breadth of design being showcased this year speaks volumes about how our scene has matured. We’re not just presenting furniture and products—we’re highlighting innovations in digital healthcare, mycelium-based materials, inclusive design, generative AI, pneumatic systems, circular design strategies, and even the codification of Singlish as a cheeky nod to our methodical approach to excellence. It’s an honour to be part of a cohort that includes my husband Hunn Wai, friends, and former students who now lead the next wave of Singapore design.
This story first appeared in the May 2025 issue of GRAZIA Singapore.
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