Silver A' Design Award in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Goes to Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate by Atsushi Morita

Atsushi Morita recognized for bakeware, tableware, drinkware and cookware design by the international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate by Atsushi Morita, designed for Paper Parade Inc., has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

The Silver A' Design Award Explained

The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.

Regarding Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate

Origami Shikki is a lacquered paper plate made from washi, a traditional Japanese paper. The design combines origami folding with the traditional crafts of washi paper and lacquerware. A lacquer coating makes the plate resistant to water and oil, so the plate can be washed with water and detergent and reused many times. The geometric form is folded from a single sheet of paper, which keeps the plate light and allows it to be folded flat for carrying. The washi is produced with the Echizen Hikake technique, giving a surface texture that changes with the angle of the light.

About Atsushi Morita

At Paper Parade, our theme is to create new value in paper and printing while crossing the boundaries between digital and physical. While experimenting with new forms of expression and exploring new concepts, we will continue to develop works that change the values of paper, printing, and materials, centering on graphic design. We are able to express ourselves uniquely while being influenced by the two forms of expression, design and artwork. The origin of Paper Parade is "exploring the possibilities of paper and printing". I believe that combining paper and printing with new elements will lead to even more possibilities.

Award Record

With this recognition, Atsushi Morita is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2020 - 2021 to 2022 - 2023 of the A' Design Award & Competition.

About the A' Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Award

The A' Kitchenware Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good kitchenware designs by best kitchenware brands and designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to kitchenware designers, product designers, industrial design studios and kitchenware brands from all countries. Entries typically include pots, pans, cutlery, plates, bowls and glasses. Awarded kitchenware designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/kitchenware

About A' Design Award & Competition

A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission 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. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated 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. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates 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, the upload of a work and the 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. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://designers.org/145138
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/145138
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!145138
Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/277517
Further Information from the Laureate: http://bit.ly/3USofRi

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

###

Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Origami Shikki Lacquerware Paper Plate
Function: Lacquerware Paper Plate
Category: Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
Discipline: Industrial Design
Industry: Furniture & Home and Food & Hospitality
Colors: Maroon, Firebrick, Crimson, Dark Slate Gray and Teal
Images: 5
Client: Paper Parade Inc.

The Recognition

Laureate: Atsushi Morita
Country: Japan
Recognition: Silver A' Design Award
Edition: 2022 - 2023
Design ID: #145138

Design Details

Unique Properties: Origami Shikki (Japanese paper lacquerware) was designed based on the concept of fusing the origami technique with the traditional industries of washi paper and lacquerware. Combining these traditional elements with their design sensibilities and contemporary lifestyle, Origami Shikki is an innovative expression of Japanese tradition. By redesigning Japanese paper as lacquerware, they created an opportunity to rethink tradition and consider a sustainable future for Japan's traditional industries.
Inspiration: Inspired by three traditional elements that are familiar to Japanese people: origami, a traditional technique of folding a sheet of paper into a single shape; lacquer, a traditional craft unique to Japan that has continued for centuries; and washi, a traditional material with production sites all over Japan, they considered how these traditions should evolve into a sustainable form to integrate into modern life where everything is convenient and accessible.
Research: Sales of products using washi are declining year by year, and the traditional washi production system is becoming difficult to maintain. If washi processing factories are lost, the traditional techniques of the region will be lost as well. Origami Shikki is made from washi paper that was to be discarded because it was out of specification. They have considered how to make washi sustainable without being restricted to preserving traditional techniques.
Challenge: In Japan, lacquer plays a role as a coating and adhesive, and is used in a variety of situations due to its robustness, durability, and ease of decoration. However, because the coating cracks when force is applied after curing, it has been considered almost impossible to change the shape of a finished lacquer object. Origami Shikki overcame this difficulty through a unique method and process, and succeeded in folding the lacquer-coated Japanese paper like origami without cracking the coating.
Realization and Technology: While washi is an easily processable material, it is also more brittle than other materials and vulnerable to water. So it have enhanced the water resistance and robustness of washi by applying a lacquer treatment to it, and have created a three-dimensional structural strength by using origami techniques. The washi used for Origami Shikki is made using a traditional Echizen technique known as HIKAKE, which allows the paper to change texture depending on the angle of the light.
Operation and Interaction: Origami Shikki has a lacquer finish that makes it durable against water and oil, and can be used as a plate for all kinds of dishes, from Japanese to Western cuisine. After use, it can be washed with water and detergent and dried for repeated use. What sets Origami Shikki apart from other plates is that it is made of washi, which makes it lightweight, and because it uses the origami technique, it can be folded into small pieces. Small and light, Origami Shikki can be carried anywhere.
Project Duration and Location: This project first began in September 2020, and was completed in October 2022, and is being exhibited at the gallery called TAKEO Aoyama Mihoncho in Tokyo in 2022.
Specifications: Width 280mm x Depth 208mm x Height 25mm, 4 colors
Keywords: tableware, lacquerware, dish, traditional craft, Japanese paper