Radiance of Nature with Urushi Teeb Pom Kev by Yu Watanabe

Radiance of Nature with Urushi Teeb Pom Kev by Yu Watanabe is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award Nyiaj in Tsim Teeb thiab Khoom Siv Teeb Competition Category.

NyiajTeeb· 2024

Radiance of Nature with Urushi Teeb Pom Kev

by Yu Watanabe

Client: Yu Watanabe

A' Design Award Nyiaj Winner in Teeb Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #154276

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Colors

The Design

About Radiance of Nature with Urushi Teeb Pom Kev

Tau los ntawm cov kua ntoo ntuj uas khaws tau raws li kev ruaj khov hauv tebchaws Nyiv, Urushi lacquer raug siv rau xyoob los tsim ib qhov chaw uas puv npo nrog cov duab zoo li ntoo. Tsis zoo li kab lis kev cai sab hnub poob qhov chaw tib neeg tshem tawm cov duab ntxoo, qhov project no txhob txwm tsim cov duab ntxoo los ua ib feem ntawm kev zoo nkauj. Cov ncej Urushi tuaj yeem tsom rov qab lub teeb zoo li tswm ciab nyob hauv chav tsaus ntuj, tawm ib lub ci ntsa iab uas muab kev paub txog qhov tob ntawm qhov tsaus. Cov yam ntxwv tshwj xeeb ntawm cov duab thiab lub teeb tsim kom muaj kev sib cuam tshuam zoo nkauj ntawm kev tsom rov qab ntawm lub teeb thiab cov duab ntxoo uas ua rau nco txog qhov chaw me me zoo li xwm.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Nyiaj

Radiance of Nature with Urushi Teeb Pom Kev yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Nyiaj, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom heev tshaj li qub uas muab rau cov qauv tsim qib siab, zoo nkauj thiab ua rau neeg xav tsis thoob. Cov neeg yeej Nyiaj yog cov haujlwm ci ntsa iab heev thiab tsim tshiab heev uas qhia txog kev paub, kev txawj ntse thiab kev ntse ntawm cov kws tsim qauv. Radiance of Nature with Urushi Teeb Pom Kev xav tias yuav yog ib qho haujlwm zoo kawg nkaus uas tsim rau qhia, tshaj lij heev thiab tsim tshiab tob. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Nyiaj no yog ib qho khoom tsim uas pom tseeb heev thiab neeg qhuas uas pab tau thiab nthuav dav ciam teb ntawm kev kos duab, kev tshawb fawb, kev tsim qauv thiab thev naus laus zis. Radiance of Nature with Urushi Teeb Pom Kev yog ib qho khoom tsim uas neeg coob xav tau, uas ua rau xav, coj kev xav zoo thiab ua rau xav tsis thoob thiab xav paub.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Urushi lacquer is produced from natural sap sustainably harvested in Japan. Unfortunately, the traditional craft of Urushi is in decline due to the emergence of alternative materials. This project aims to revitalise this craft and create a space that connects people with nature. Urushi also has qualities that reflect even the smallest light. Through the arrangement of tree-like shapes, the play of light and shadows can immerse people in a microcosmic space reminiscent of nature.
Dimensions & Packaging: The object consists of 16 cylindrical lights. Diameter: 11 cm to 14 cm. It comes in four sizes: size S 60 cm, size M 90 cm, size L 128 cm, and size XL 167 cm.
Urushi lacquer is applied on the bamboo by hand by Urushi craftsmen.
The bamboo is cut by artisans who cut the bamboo vertically, revealing the cut section on a dare.
Tags: Lighting, Sustainable, Traditional, Revitalising, Cultural, Meditative, Darkness, Space, Installation, Product,
Production Technology: Urushi is extracted from trees in small amounts, applied to natural materials such as bamboo. Although highly durable, Urushi products can be returned to nature when disposed of breaking down naturally under UV light. Crafted by hand by skilled artisans, each product is created in respect of the slow, yet continuous production of natural material. This circular design has the potential to restore the relationship between nature and people contrasting the modern reliance on single-use plastics.
Design Challenge: Why can’t everyday objects also be an opportunity for people to connect with nature? Urushi, a fully repairable, biodegradable, and naturally produced lacquer, allows people to create products embodying the cycle of nature. This ancient Japanese craft founded in principles of sustainability is revitalized through a modern design in this project
Research: Design research was conducted through hands-on experiments, thesis research, and collaboration with experts such as craftsmen, harvesters, and product designers. Hands-on experiments involved experimenting with more than 20 natural materials in combination with lacquer, while on the theoretical side, we investigated the relationship between how traditional Japanese lighting and space are perceived, and the relationship between Japanese gardens, modernism, and minimalism.
Inspiration: Unlike the West, where people often remove shadows from space, the Japanese embrace shadows as a part of aesthetic beauty. In Junichiro Tanizaki's In Praise of Shadows, he mentions the true value of lacquerware is that it reflects a candle-like light in a dark room, giving off a luminous glow that gives a sense of the depth of darkness and invites one into a meditative space. Through this project, Urushi is used to reflect a small flickering light while embracing shadows.
Project Duration: The project started in August 2022 in London and Japan, and finished in June 2023 in London, and was exhibited in Saint Central Martins in London.
Operation Flow: Through the arrangement of tree-like shapes, the project seeks to evoke a sense of being in a forest. The play of light and shadows allows viewers to immerse themselves in a microcosmic space reminiscent of nature. This project not only explores the fascination of materials but also encourages the viewer to look at the materials through the lense of their backgrounds, narratives and connections with nature.
Image Credits: ALL Images: Yu Watanabe, 2023
Sound in Video: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Ambiment, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/