japanese art, design and culture

Photos by Yasuko Furukawa | click to enlarge

Was there an earthquake? Or did time suddenly stop moving? Masters of the optical illusion, Tokyo-based YOY studio have designed SWING – a pendant lamp that, well, appears to swing. The trick is really quite simple. An LED light source is used to illuminate the bulb and an acrylic tube that represents the trace of light. It comes in 3 different sizes depending on how much you want your room to appear to sway.

Check out some of YOY’s other designs that will make you say, huh?

We’ve all done it before – you come home to find that your flowers have wilted because you’ve forgotten to add water to the vase. Well a new harmonious design is giving voice to the “unspeakable flower.”

Designed by Risako Matsumoto, a member of the collaborative design unit Design Soil, Water Balance is almost like a kinetic sculpture. An adjustable weight creates perfect equilibrium between the flower vase filled with water and the weight. When water begins to evaporate, the structure slants to become the “silent voice of the flower.”

Here are some other unique flower vases that the group has done in the past.

Source: THEmag | Notcot

My friend and illustrator Naho Ogawa is releasing her first children’s book. Actually, she’s releasing not one, not two, but three, all at once. I’m not sure how she found the time in-between the never-ending requests for editorial illustrations, but it’s happening – on June 5th. The series follows 2 girls, Mimi and Nana, into their imaginative wonderland.

And yes, the books are sure to be as adorable is this little gif that Naho created!

all images courtesy AxisMagazine

Multidisciplinary designer Makoto Koizumi’s portfolio ranges from the very small (chopstick rests and tea kettles) to the very large (residential architecture projects and interior design). And ever since he established his own studio in 1990 he’s approached each project with the same emphasis on tradition and craft. In 2003 he opened his first shop in Kunitachi – a western suburb of Tokyo. But while walking through his neighborhood Koizumi discovered an old shoe shop that had closed down. Having outgrown his current location – just 45 seconds away – he decided to renovate it and move in.

Fast-forward to April 2013, the new Makoto Koizumi shop opened for business and is selling tableware, utensils and other small necessities. His older space is now a dedicated showroom for larger pieces of furniture. Reiko Imamura and AxisMagazine recently visited his shop and put together a wonderful report (JP).

Koizumi Dougu ten
2-2-31 Fujimidai, Kunitachi shi, Tokyo (Gmap)
Tel: 042-574-1464
Hours：3:00pm – 6:00pm

Love the look of your keyboard? Keep it clean and dust-free with Type Wipe, an elegantly designed cover that blends in with your laptop. Designed by Nosigner, it comes in 5 colors and retails for about $18.

For the 2nd year in a row, Loftwork and FabCafe are hosting their You Fab laser cutter competition. If you’ll recall, last year there were some really great submissions.

This year you can submit entries in 3 categories: Toys, Greeting Cards or Party Wear.

Anything goes, as long as it can be engraved or cut using a laser cutter and you can submit entries starting today through June 15th.  There’s a lot at stake including cash prizes and a chance to have your idea sold at FabCafe.

I’ve been asked to judge this year’s competition, along with Nosigner and others. You can read more about the competition and how to submit entries! Looking forward to seeing your designs!

images courtesy kengo kuma and one niseko | click to enlarge

“The Ainus worship nature and believe a spirit resides in every single tree.”

If there’s one area of Japan that’s booming it’s the Niseko region of Hokkaido. Their world-class powdery snow, which continuously lands them on top ski resort lists like this one, has generated a flurry (get it?) of tourism and investment activity. So it comes as no surprise that last year One Niseko hired world-class architect Kengo Kuma to give them a much-needed facelift.

But with major companies like Hilton and West Paces pouring money into the region and rebranding hotels and villages with their name, Kengo Kuma decided it was important to maintain local identity.

Paying homage to the indigenous Ainu tradition of using the entire body of wood for their homes, Kuma used hundreds of large slabs of wood, paneling them throughout the interior and exterior of the hotel. In the lobby area the slits even act as magazine racks. “We wanted a space that is deeply related to the history of this place – the culture of Ainu,” says Kuma. “The Ainus worship nature and believe a spirit resides in every single tree.”

As part of NY Design Week, this weekend we’re curating a pop-up exhibition in Brooklyn titled te + te: New Handmade.

Collaborating with reMADE, the show will feature (mostly) local designers who are challenging the typical classifications of handmade, which has taken on a much broader, economically competitive definition.

te (手) is the Japanese word for hand. te + te is about the hand of the artist but it also implies the exchange of goods from hand to hand.　There are some amazing artists and designers participating: Noriko Kuresumi, Wasara, Takeshi Miyakawa, Nao Matsumoto, Kenzo Minami and Kaori Sohma.

Yes, we’re pulling out the big guns. I’ll be at the reception so hope to see you there!

Date: May 19 – 20, 2013 (Reception May 19, 6:00pm )
Time: 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Location: 469 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn (Gmap)
RSVP: Facebook event page

Art director and graphic designer Koji Iyama has been staging installations across Japan to promote the multifunctional uses of mt-masking tape. His latest installation arrived in Sendai, almost 2 years after it was ravaged by the devastating tsunami.

Staged within an old warehouse, and utilizing its high ceilings, Iyama hung hundreds of rolls of masking tape from the ceiling, delineating space and affecting the flow of people. He then proceeded to cover the entire floor with masking tape as well, including all objects in his way, like bicycles.

Creative Director and graphic designer extraordinaire Kenjiro Sano returns to his alma mater to create a stunning series of ads for Tama Art University (colloquially, Tamabi). “Made by Hands” are a collective series of close to 40 different prints that have been running in various magazines.

Each is done strictly in black & white and feature a hand in some form of activity, whether it’s shredding or pushing over dominos, that effects and distorts the name of the school. They’re eye-catching but also embody the type of creative, boundary-pushing thinking that art schools like to project. But then again, I would only expect this level of work from a man who puts a tunnel slide in his office.

source: @MR_DESIGN_twit