Press Release
Mushroom Shelf by Shota Urasaki Receives the Bronze A' Design Award in Furniture Design
The international grand jury of the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Shota Urasaki for furniture design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2022 /DesignNewswire/ Mushroom Shelf by Shota Urasaki has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Bronze A' Design Award Means
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Mushroom Shelf
Mushroom is a shelf designed for the free display of everyday objects. Each mushroom form is hand-carved one by one from Okinawan camphorwood and embedded with a magnet. The mushrooms are attached to a thin steel plate that rises from the floor, so each form can be positioned freely. Large mushrooms hold various items, while small mushrooms hold postcards or memos. The base combines bent steel plates with plywood. The design was inspired by mushrooms growing on a wooden sign, and its appearance changes with each user.
About Shota Urasaki
Shota Urasaki is a designer for Yamaha Corporation. He was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan. He works as a representative of OKINAWA PRODUCTS. He presents designs primarily inspired by nature. He makes emotional product proposals. The goal is a design that is easy to understand and fun for the viewer. Will be exhibited at salone satellite of salone del mobile in 2022.
Award Record
This recognition makes Shota Urasaki a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2019 - 2020 and the 2021 - 2022 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Furniture Design Award
The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Typical entries include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. The awarded furniture designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/furniture
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/140071
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/140071
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!140071
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/275875
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.instagram.com/shota_urasaki_okinawa_products/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Mushroom Shelf
- Function
- Shelf
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Silver, White, Gainsboro, Tan and Rosy Brown
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Shota Urasaki
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2021 - 2022
- Design ID
- #140071
Credits
- Image Credits
- [; Shota Urasaki, Mushroom, 2021. ][; Shota Urasaki, Mushroom, 2021.]
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The shelf of camphor tree, sculpted to look like a mushroom, is embedded with magnets. Therefore, they can be placed freely. The mushrooms are attached to a thin steel plate that rises up from the floor. The large mushrooms can be used to place various items, while the small mushrooms can be used to hold postcards or memos.
- Inspiration
- I usually create ideas from the nature around me. This was inspired by the sight of mushrooms growing out of a wooden sign in my neighborhood. I felt the vitality and freedom of the mushrooms that grow from artifacts. It was very interesting. Currently, there are various ways of life and values. This shelf changes its appearance depending on the user.
- Research
- I visited several islands in Okinawa for this project. I observed and repeatedly sketched the nature there. Then, while modeling in 3D, I made a number of mock-ups and examined them. At the same time, I also considered what materials would be appropriate.
- Challenge
- I had a hard time conveying the wonder of nature in a sensory way. Structure and details were important, but I had to make sure that what I felt was expressed properly as I worked toward completion.
- Realization and Technology
- The mushrooms are carefully hand-carved one by one from Okinawan camphorwood. Thin steel plates were then bent and combined with plywood to create the base to which the mushrooms are attached.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in June 2020 in Okinawa and finished in January 2021 in Okinawa.
- Specifications
- Width 910mm x Depth 450mm x Height 1500mm
- Keywords
- Okinawa, Japan, Nature, Shelf, Furniture
