Chao-Chun Kung

Chao-Chun Kung (b. 1998, Kaohsiung, Taiwan) is a London-based artist, designer and architectural practitioner working across sculpture, material research, computational design and digital fabrication. He studied Architecture at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology before completing an MArch in Bio-Integrated Design at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.

His practice explores how everyday materials can carry cultural memory, identity and a sense of place. Drawing from his Taiwanese background and his life in London, Kung often works with tea and coffee as both material and cultural references. Tea connects to memories of Taiwan, domestic rituals and social exchange, while coffee reflects another rhythm of everyday life encountered in London. By incorporating used tea leaves and coffee grounds into 3D-printable materials, he transforms familiar residues into sculptural objects, lighting and spatial pieces, using waste as a way to examine memory, migration, consumption and cultural exchange.

Kung has received international recognition including the Grand Prix at the DNA Paris Design Awards 2024, Second Prize in the YAC Vertical Farms competition 2025, an iF Design Talent Award 2023 and a Red Dot Award in 2020. His work has been exhibited at The Bartlett Autumn Show 2024 and during London Design Festival 2026 in “After the Last Sip” at Fab.Pub London. His work and material research have also been featured by Designboom and supported by Taiwan’s Global Pathfinders Initiative.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Awards: Emerging Grand Prix — Landscape Design of the Year, DNA Paris Design Awards (2024); Second Prize, YAC Vertical Farm Competition (2025) Exhibited: 'After the Last Sip', London Design Festival (2026); London Festival of Architecture 2024 Featured: designboom (2026)