art, somewhere in between New York and Tokyo

I wanted to highlight one more winner from the JCD 2009 design awards. Yamakoya (which means wood-log cabin) is a special research corner emphasizing local history and was constructed within the library of Ina-Higashi Elementary School (Nagano Prefecture). How swell would it be to study in this!!

The uneven logs mimic the shape of mountains, creating an inviting space for kids to enter and learn. Additionally, the mountainous forms create a 4-person table for group work, cubby holes for individual study, and a  single open space where books and other resources are stored. It was designed by Ben Nagaoka from Point.

images courtesy of co-lab

The JCD Design Awards were announced earlier this week and I just thought that Ryuji Nakamura (a favorite here on Spoon & Tamago) deserved a special shout out for scoring the top prize AND a not-so-modest silver with a different work. I didn’t see any other double entries on the list so here here!

Blossom (2009) won 1st place

Atmosphere (2009) won a silver

Related:

• Ryuji Nakamura’s Hechima Chair & Insect Cage
• Blossom by Ryuji Nakamura
• Ryuji Nakamura

Have you ever been to the Hakone Open Air Museum? I went once when I was small and loved it! And now is a better reason than ever to plan a day trip, especially if you have kids. Early last month Tezuka Architects unveiled their latest work, Net Forest. Comprised of over 500 wooden logs, the kids space is a feat of engineering that utilizes traditional interlocking architecture instead of metal. There hasn’t been a new kids space in over 15 years so this is definitely worth checking out.

in progress images courtesy of Tezuka Architects
completed images courtesy of Hakone Open Air Museum & Tis Partners

I`m sorry that posting has been a little slow but I`ve been sick for the past couple days. In the meantime check out this interview I did for DavisonCreators. It was fun talking about growing up in Japan and my experiences that led up to the founding of Spoon & Tamago, something I don`t get to do on this blog. Read the full interview HERE.

A kind Gentleman from the Kagawa prefectural government in Japan emailed me the other day to tell me about their Setouchi International Art Festival in 2010. They’re accepting proposals through August 31st! If selected your work will be joined by the likes of French artist Christian Boltanski, Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, hermetic – yet renowned -  Japanese artist Shinro Ohtake (who’s major retrospective I was lucky enough to attend back in ’06), as well as some emerging artists such as Chiharu Shiota, who I wrote about HERE.

So enter your work in the festival and hopefully you will be able to take a trip down to Kagawa, home of some pretty great site-specific work such as Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkin and Ando Tadao’s Chichu Art Museum!

images courtesy of (left) town of naoshima | (right) studio international

Japanese paper artist Noriko Ambe will be showing her fantastic terramorphic (is that a word?) topographic sculptures at Scai The Bathhouse Gallery in Tokyo beginning this Friday. Ambe goes about her work by making precise cut-outs in books, magazines and other forms of paper. In these selected works she uses a synthetic paper called YUPO, made of 100% recyclable materials. Fear not terra firma-friendly New Yorkers – Ambe will be showing at the 10th anniversary group show at Mixed Greens in Chelsea starting July 9th.

If you find that this appeals to your senses you may consider picking up some topographically inspired stationary by Drill Design.

Related:

• Choe U Ram at Scai the Bathhouse

Today’s interior inspiration comes from minä perhonen’s latest shop, arkistot, which opened its doors just a couple weeks ago in Kyoto. According to the website, arkistot means archival in Finnish, which sets the stage for their archival-themed clothing, accessories, and stationary. I especially like that shovel as coat hanger! It looks like something you would see in anthropologie.

This really made my Monday morning! Another find from my latest treasure trove, the Mitsubai Tokyo shop. The Pop Cup Holders fit around 205ml paper cups and even include a coaster! And the best thing is they’re made of cloth and wood so 100% reusable. How fun would these be for a home party , or around the office? They were designed by SALCO, a 2-person design team. Given the material they run a little pricey; about $12 each.

Got some books piling up in the corner just collecting dust? Turn them into flower pots! The honbachi, or book pot, was designed by graphic design agency Tokyo Pistol. I love how the moisture corrodes the pages and the book takes on a life of its own! You can also purchase one at Mitsubai Tokyo.

The multitalented husband-wife design duo Noto Fusai have released a new line of products titled Canvasworks. The idea was to create a canvas that was both decorative and functional. This is actually a very futuristic concept. Take for instance this combo (pictured above); instead of putting a clock, dresser, picture frames, tack board and plant in your bedroom you put a picture of said items and call it a day. I think that’s a really rad idea and would be interesting to explore further!

You can purchase them at CIBONE, Mitsubai Tokyo or Novelax.

Related:

• Shikisai t-shirts by Noto Fusai