Free Air Kiʻi Kālai Metala by Huang Yu Jung

Free Air Kiʻi Kālai Metala by Huang Yu Jung is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Hana Noʻeau a me Hoʻokomo Hana Noʻeau Competition Category.

KalaHana Noʻeau· 2025

Free Air Kiʻi Kālai Metala

by Huang Yu Jung

Client: Fresh Design Studio

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Hana Noʻeau Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Free Air Kiʻi Kālai Metala

He kiʻi kālai metala ʻo Free Air i hoʻonoho ʻia ma kahi ākea lehulehu ma ke kūlanakauhale ʻo Ube, Iāpana. Ua hana ʻia ka hana ma ke ʻano o kahi ʻōmole i kanu hapa ʻia i loko o ka lepo, he kuhikuhi i ka loaʻa ʻana a i ka mōʻaukala ʻoihana o ia wahi. Ua hana ʻia ka ʻāpana o luna me ke kila kila ʻole 316 me ka hoʻopau aniani, i hoʻohana ʻia ma o ka hoʻokumu ʻana i ka pā metala kikohoʻe. Ua hoʻoheheʻe ʻia ka ʻāpana o lalo me ke keleawe kahiko. Hāʻawi nā ʻano huʻa poepoe a me nā wahi pili kakaʻikahi i ka metala kaumaha i ke ʻano māmā. Kū ke kiʻi kālai i ka 300 kenimika ke kiʻekiʻe a kono i nā malihini e hoʻokokoke a hoʻopā aku iā ia.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Free Air Kiʻi Kālai Metala i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Free Air Kiʻi Kālai Metala he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā Free Air Kiʻi Kālai Metala e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Through a single piece of art,an urban space is liberated from the burdens of its past as an industrial city.This is an artwork that makes the presence of wind and air visible,allowing the free-flowing breeze to sweep across Japan.Rooted in Ube City’s historical foundation as an industrial hub,the piece invites observation of how artistic intervention revitalizes spaces,fostering a transformation towards green,nature-integrated urban living.At the same time,with Japan and Taiwan collaborating in the advancement of semiconductor technology,this fusion of innovation envisions a future of freedom and new possibilities for everyday life.
Dimensions & Packaging: 300(H)x193(W)x179(D)CM
Tags: Made in Taiwan, Artwork, Art Therapy, Sculpture, Freedom, Air, Metal Sculpture
Production Technology: The artwork is crafted using 316 stainless steel and bronze.The stainless steel component is produced through digital sheet metal forming technology,a highly competitive method that eliminates the need for custom forming tools,molds,dies,or presses.This approach allows for precise fabrication,enabling the creation of truly unique works of art. As for the bronze casting process, casting has been an enduring metallurgical technique for thousands of years.By incorporating both contemporary digital fabrication methods and time-honored bronze casting techniques,this artwork embodies the fusion of cutting-edge technology with centuries-old craftsmanship-a beautiful legacy of innovation and tradition.
Design Challenge: The artist aims to finalize the organic form with full, rounded bubbles, ensuring that the bubbles appear natural from every angle to emphasize freedom. To create maximum tension and contrast, the connection points must be minimized while still maintaining structural strength. Additionally, the form must align with the material’s characteristics to counteract the top-heavy visual effect, preventing the intended sense of lightness and freedom from turning into an overwhelming sense of oppression instead.
Research: The artist seeks to connect art and healing, believing that beauty brings joy, which fosters health and happiness. A free mind is key to well-being. He aims to create a small yet impactful artwork that transforms its surroundings into a tranquil, uplifting space, offering viewers freedom and happiness. Through art, the most natural form of healing can occur.
A static sculpture must appear dynamic. The invisible air should become visible, and heavy metal materials should radiate lightness and freedom.
Medical research confirms emotions influence health. Maintaining a positive mindset is the artist’s focus. Installed in Ube City, Japan, the piece evokes joy, encouraging viewers to pause, play, and feel free. It inspires a state of mental clarity—"net zero," a carefree, healthy mindset.
The artist believes this artwork’s therapeutic effect is its greatest real-life impact.
Inspiration: In archaeological activities,it is common to find partially unearthed old bottle bodies,symbolizing the essence of "discovery and exploration".In this creation,a bottle is depicted as being partially buried in the ground,subtly conveying messages about the past life of this land.It serves as a reminder that this former industrial city, through the intervention of artistic transformation,can be revitalized and become lighter, shedding its former heaviness.
For the upper part of the artwork, medical-grade 316 stainless steel is chosen for its highly reflective mirror surface,enhancing the clarity of environmental reflections while evoking a sense of eternity and technological sophistication.Meanwhile,the lower portion,which is embedded underground,is crafted from antique bronze to interpret the historical depth of the land.This contrast allows the materials themselves to tell a compelling story.
Project Duration: Sculpture creation began in Taiwan in January 2024 and was completed and installed in Japan in September. Starting in October,it was publicly exhibited at the Ube Biennale (Modern Japanese Sculpture Exhibition).The exhibition is scheduled to conclude in December 2025.
Operation Flow: Everyone is welcome to touch the artwork,approach it,and interact with it.Try to let your body feel the lightness and freedom-like air-transforming that sensation into a state of spiritual liberation.If,after experiencing the artwork,you feel a sense of relaxation and healing,that brings me the greatest joy,for it means reaching a realm where art and therapy merge into one.
Image Credits: Photographer (Kao,Ming-Chieh)