Obon Kafe-mahaia by Simone Bonanni is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award in Altzari Diseinua Competition Category.

ZilarAltzariak· 2021

Obon Kafe-mahaia

by Simone Bonanni

Client: Moooi

Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award Winner in Altzariak Category

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Colors

The Design

About Obon Kafe-mahaia

Obon zeramikaz egindako hiru kafe-mahaiz osatutako bilduma bat da, gainaldea beiraztatuta duena. Bilduma terrakotan inspiratuta dago, material antzinako eta irregularrean. Mahai bakoitza eskuz egina dago, beraz, pieza bakoitza bakarra da. Hiru neurriek mahai angeluzuzen bat eta bi mahai karratu barne hartzen dituzte, barneko proiektuetarako irtenbide desberdinak eskainiz. Formak leunak eta pixka bat irregularrak dira, eta gorputzaren gainazala leuna da. Oinarri lodia lehengaiz betetzen da ekoizpen-prozesuan zehar egonkortasuna handitzeko. Gainalde beiraztatua erraz garbitzen da eta orbanei aurre egiten die.

The Recognition

About the Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award

Obon Kafe-mahaia Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award irabazlea da, goi-mailako, zoragarriak eta liluragarriak diren diseinuei ematen zaien ezohiko aitorpen prestijiotsua. Zilar-mailako irabazleak lan oso distiratsuak eta sormen biziko lanak dira, beren diseinatzaileen aditutasun, talentu eta zorroztasun nabarmenak erakusten dituztenak. Obon Kafe-mahaia erakusleiho-lan zoragarria, nabarmenki profesionala eta sakonki berritzailea izatea espero da. Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award irabazi duen diseinu hau asmakizun oso nabarmena eta miretsia da, onura ekartzen duena eta artearen, zientziaren, diseinuaren eta teknologiaren mugak zabaltzen dituena. Obon Kafe-mahaia jende askok inbidia duen sorkuntza da, desirak pizten dituena, sentimendu positiboak ekartzen dituena eta harridura eta txunditzea pizten dituena.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Obon is a collection of three tables designed for Moooi. The collection is inspired by an ancient, earthy, irregular material: terra-cotta. The Obon Table is handmade and therefore each piece is unique. It is made of ceramic with a glazed top.
Dimensions & Packaging: Material: Ceramics, glazed top
thickness table top: 6 cm
shape: Rectangular, square (high and low)
Rectangular dimensions: width:92 cm - height:28 cm - depth:44 cm
Square Low dimensions: width:61 cm - height:28 cm - depth:61 cm
Square High dimensions: width:47 cm - height:37 cm - depth:46 cm
Tags: table, ceramic, handmade, terracotta, craftmanship, simonebonanni, moooi
Production Technology: The tables’ design is the result of a patient process of combining shapes and volumes. Their graphical purity blends into the structure of ceramics creating a unique mix of new and antique. The choice of terracotta came naturally with the drawings and outlines of the tables. From the beginning, the idea was to introduce a series of objects which appeared to be handmade and that could create a natural and gently imperfect tone. I wanted to make the object look beautiful for its spontaneity and genuineness, not for its complexity.
Design Challenge: The search for the right finish and the technical development of such large volumes in a material that is difficult to control represented a real challenge in terms of serial production and probably contained a good dose of innovation even for an experienced professional like Luigi. The problem was not only producing a perfect Obon Table, it was more about replicating them with the same quality, refining the technique day after day.
Research: We went through many samples of the material and tested more than twenty finishes both glazed, for the top, and natural for the edge and the base. Together with Luigi Bertapelle, an expert ceramicist in Veneto (Italy), we experimented with a new process of antiquing the surface of the terracotta. We worked on its tactile aspect with the inclusion of various thicknesses of chamotte, aiming to generate a perfect mix between the present and the past. It was fundamental to enclose such a graphically "educated" product in a special surface!
Inspiration: The tables are inspired by an ancient, earthy, irregular material: terra-cotta. With its origins lost in the mists of time, terracotta is at the base of millenary archaeological finds all over the world. These precious discoveries are evidence of our timeless creativity and desire to leave a sign, admire and ritualize
Project Duration: The Obon tables were exhibited in Salone del Mobile in April 2018. The project started 6 months prior to that in a little town in the region of Veneto, called Nove which is very famous for its ceramic.
Operation Flow: The Obon tables are small versatile coffee tables which can live in many different environments and interior design projects due to their very simple and soft silhouettes. The thick base is filled during the production process with raw material to give it a higher stability and the top surface has a glazed finish to make it easy to clean and to preserve its genuine beauty forever.
Image Credits: Image #1: Brand Moooi, Obon, 2018