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Obon Tēpu Kawhe by Simone Bonanni

Obon Tēpu Kawhe by Simone Bonanni is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award Hiriwa in Hoahoa Taputapu Competition Category.


HiriwaTaputapu· 2021

Obon Tēpu Kawhe

by Simone Bonanni

Client: Moooi

A' Design Award Hiriwa Winner in Taputapu Category

Colors

The Design

About Obon Tēpu Kawhe

Ko Obon he kohinga tēpu kawhe e toru i mahia mai i te uku me te taumata whakawiriwiri. He mea whakaawe te kohinga e te terracotta, he rawa tawhito, he rawa āhua rerekē. He mea mahi ā-ringa ia tēpu, nō reira he ahurei ia wāhanga. Ko ngā rahi e toru ka whakauru mai i tētahi tēpu tapawhā roa me ngā tēpu tapawhā rite e rua, e tuku ana i ngā otinga rerekē mō ngā kaupapa o roto. He mārū, he āhua rerekē noa ngā āhua, ā, he maeneene te mata o te tinana. Ka whakakīngia te tūrangaru mātotoru ki te rawa mata i te wā whakaputa hei whakapiki i te pūmau. He māmā te horoi i te taumata whakawiriwiri, ā, ka aukati i te poke.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hiriwa

Ko Obon Tēpu Kawhe te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Obon Tēpu Kawhe he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Obon Tēpu Kawhe he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.

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

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