Kazoo Design Studio · CLIENT: Kazoo Design Studio
Banana Na Na is a decorative porcelain sculpture shaped like a banana in an upright standing position. The form explores how far a familiar silhouette can be altered while remaining recognizable. The overall U shape gives a sense of balance, while dashed and twisted ridges add a sense of rhythm. The ridges also act as supporting feet, because the piece has no flat base. Banana Na Na was modelled digitally and printed in three dimensions as a prototype, then cast in porcelain with a four part plaster mold. The width is 19 cm, the depth 4.3 cm and the height 8 cm.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This controversial banana sculptural piece is a bold reinterpretation of a home decor object. Two key ideas shaped its design. Firstly the objective was to explore how much an object's form can be altered while still retaining its recognizability and secondly how to reimagine a banana in an upright standing position, defying its natural tendency to rest on its side.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width: 19 cm x Depth: 4.3 cm x Height: 8 cm
- Tags
- banana, contemporary, pop art, home decor
- Production Technology
- The product was digitally designed using 3d modelling software and the prototype was 3d printed. A four part plaster mold was made from the prototype using traditional mold-making techniques. Porcelain was picked as the material of choice for its complementary role in the object's final look.
- Design Challenge
- The object does not have a flat base, but instead the ridges coming in from its sides play the role of supporting feet. Getting the object to sit correctly without rocking on a tabletop and not be back or front heavy was the biggest challenge that had to be overcome. A few different variations were made before finalizing the design that fulfilled the above criteria.
- Project Duration
- This project started in August 2025 and was completed within one month in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Operation Flow
- The overall U-shaped form of the object gives it a sense of balance, while the dashed and twisted ridges add a sense of rhythm to its character.
- Research
- This object was an attempt of turning a portmanteau (merging of two words) into a physical object. The name of this object derives from the words banana and the chorus "na na na na na" sung in Opus' 1984 song "Live is Life". The objective was to make the banana look like it would turn from its' resting position (laying flat on its' side) to a standing position in order to dance. The banana edges have been changed from smooth continuous ones to wavy dashed ones in order to add a sense of rhythmical motion.
- Inspiration
- Among all fruits, the banana has one of the most instantly recognizable silhouettes. It has repeatedly surfaced in pop art, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and installations cementing its role not only as an iconic form but also, at times, as a playful or provocative cultural symbol.
The name of the object is derived from the combination of banana and the repetitive na na na na na chorus in Opus' 1984 song Live is Life. - Image Credits
- All photos belong to Kazoo Design Studio.
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