Keiji Ishikawa · CLIENT: KJ studio
The cut glass design aims to inspire creative thinking by invoking various stories, such as past experiences, gratitude for the present, and anticipation for the future. The design features rabbit-like characters expressing different emotions, creating a dialogical scene. The characters' emotional expressions are presented repetitively, with variations near the mouth to develop the story. This design encourages people to reflect on their past experiences and prospects while symbolizing the importance of dialogical relationships.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The design of the dialogical scenes features a pair of rabbits expressing various emotions, with a repeated pattern of unified and stable expressions. The characters around the mouth of the glass showcase natural changes that unfold the story, allowing the holder to reflect on past experiences and prospects. This design symbolizes the joy of realizing a unified self through dialogical relationships with others.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The product dimensions are as follows: In the main image, the wine glass is 58mm in diameter and 150mm in height, and the sake cup is 60mm in diameter and 60mm in height. In optional image #1, the plate is 150mm in diameter and 33mm in height, and the top view of the plate is shown in optional image #2. In optional image #3, the sake glass is 60mm in diameter and 70mm in height. Finally, in optional image #4, the rock glass is 77mm in diameter and 92mm in height.
- Tags
- kiriko, cutglass, japaneseglassware, glassart
- Production Technology
- The double-layered glassware is carefully ground and polished by hand using Japanese Kiriko cut glass technology.
- Design Challenge
- As a result of trial and error, we decided on a simple and abstract design like a rabbit for the pair of characters. We tried many variations for the various emotional expressions and agreed on them while referring to multiple people's opinions (I would especially like to thank Ms. Risako Ishikawa for her valuable advice).
- Project Duration
- The project started in March 2023 in Tokushima, Japan, and finished in January 2024.
- Operation Flow
- The pattern of the character, like a pair of rabbits, is a wide-angle V-cut, so when viewed from the side, the design on the inside changes and shines through, as shown in the main image. Also, as indicated in optional image #2, by looking at the plates from above, you can see how the story progresses with the variations of the characters. Additionally, the design is very smooth to the touch and shock-resistant because the cut of the character pattern is shallow in depth.
- Research
- We needed to create a pair of characters that could be cut with Kiriko and that were visually enjoyable. Moreover, we needed to create scenes where those characters expressed various emotions.
- Inspiration
- My inspiration for creating a cut glass was to capture and celebrate life's meaningful moments. I wanted to make a piece that would remind us of our past achievements, help us appreciate the present, and inspire us to dream of a bright future. To bring this vision to life, I used dialogue from different scenes to tell a comprehensive story.
- Image Credits
- Video Credits:
To make the story development of the scenes where the pair of characters express their emotions more straightforward to understand, we show the scenes changing as we rotate the glass in a video. - Patents
- The design is applying for design registration and will get copyright in registered designs in December 2024 in Japan.
Press releases are available in 1 languages.