Sølv Belysning · 2024
Radiance of Nature with Urushi Belysning
by Yu Watanabe
- A' Design Award i Sølv 2024 in Belysning
- CLIENT: Yu Watanabe
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 78,009
- Verification code 688C5EDD03 · Verify this award
Colors
About Radiance of Nature with Urushi Belysning
Utvunnet fra bærekraftig høstet naturlig sevje i Japan påføres Urushi-lakk på bambus og skaper et omslyttende rom blant trelignende former. I motsetning til vestlig kultur, hvor man fjerner skygger fra rommet, skaper dette prosjektet bevisst skygger som en del av estetisk skjønnhet. Urushi-søylene kan reflektere et lys likt et stearinlys i et mørkt rom og avgir en lysende glød som gir en følelse av mørkets dybde. De unike egenskapene til form og lys skaper et fortryllende samspill av lysrefleksjoner og skygger som fremkaller et mikrokosmisk rom som minner om naturen.
About the A' Design Award i Sølv
Radiance of Nature with Urushi Belysning er vinner av A' Design Award i Sølv, en usedvanlig prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles design i toppklassen som er nydelige og imponerende. Sølvvinnere er enormt briljante og usedvanlig kreative verk som viser designernes enestående ekspertise, talent og skarpsindighet. Radiance of Nature with Urushi Belysning forventes å være et praktfullt utstillingsverk som er bemerkelsesverdig profesjonelt og dypt nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Sølv, er en svært bemerkelsesverdig, beundret oppfinnelse som gagner og flytter grensene for kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi. Radiance of Nature with Urushi Belysning er et skaperverk mange misunner, som vekker ønsker, gir positive følelser og vekker undring og forundring.
Press Kit
- 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/
