Radiance of Nature with Urushi Faʻamalamalama by Yu Watanabe

Radiance of Nature with Urushi Faʻamalamalama by Yu Watanabe is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award Ario in Mamanu Malamalama Competition Category.

ArioMalamalama· 2024

Radiance of Nature with Urushi Faʻamalamalama

by Yu Watanabe

Client: Yu Watanabe

A' Design Award Ario Winner in Malamalama Category

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Verified Award Winner
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Colors

The Design

About Radiance of Nature with Urushi Faʻamalamalama

E maua mai le Urushi lacquer mai le sua faʻanatura e tipiina ma le pulea lelei i Iapani, ma faʻaaogaina i luga o pito o ofe e fausia ai se avanoa faʻapitoa i totonu o foliga e pei o laʻau. E ese mai aganuu faʻa-Sisifo, lea e aveese ai e tagata paolo mai avanoa, o lenei poloketi e faʻatupuina paolo ma le faʻakuksuga e avea ma vaega o le matagofie taua. O pou o le Urushi e mafai ona atagia se malamalama e pei o se moligao i totonu o se potu pogisa, ma tuʻuina atu se pupula susulu e maua ai se lagona o le loloto o le pouliuli. O uiga tulaga ese o foliga ma malamalama e fausia ai se fegalegaleai matagofie o ata o le malamalama ma paolo e faʻaalia ai se avanoa laiti e faʻamanatu i le natura.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Ario

O le A' Design Award Ario na manumalo ai Radiance of Nature with Urushi Faʻamalamalama, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu sili ona lelei, matagofie ma mataʻutia. O ē manumalo i le Ario o galuega susulu tele ma fatufatuaʻi e faaalia ai le poto, le taleni ma le atamai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Radiance of Nature with Urushi Faʻamalamalama e avea ma galuega matagofie, o se fesuiaiga mo isi, e iloga i le tomai faapolofesa ma mea fou loloto. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Ario o se mea e iloga, ua mataʻina e aogā ma tuleia atu tapulaʻa o le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi. Radiance of Nature with Urushi Faʻamalamalama o se mea e fiafia i ai le toatele, e fafagu ai manaʻoga, aumaia ai lagona lelei ma tupu ai le ofo.

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/