Spiral of Life Primärfunktion: Glasservis by Keiji Ishikawa

Spiral of Life Primärfunktion: Glasservis by Keiji Ishikawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award i Guld in Bakforms-, Bordsservis-, Dricksglas- och Kokkärlsdesign Competition Category.

GuldKöksredskap· 2026

Spiral of Life Primärfunktion: Glasservis

by Keiji Ishikawa

Client: KJ studio

A' Design Award i Guld Winner in Köksredskap Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Spiral of Life Primärfunktion: Glasservis

Boktext: I en fusion av matematisk struktur och kinetisk konst presenterar projektet Spiral of Life en ny riktning för Kiriko-glasvaror. Detta verk fångar naturens organiska fluktuation inom ett glasmedium. Utvecklingen har sitt ursprung i ett samarbete mellan designern och Ree, en färgdansare. Genom att översätta Fibonacci-sekvenser till rörelse gav Ree det konceptuella ramverket för designen. Genom spiralförhållandena 8 till 13 och 13 till 21 förenar hantverkaren traditionellt hantverk med biomatematik. Den resulterande harmonin erbjuder en rytmisk upplevelse som speglar världens naturliga puls.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Guld

Spiral of Life Primärfunktion: Glasservis är vinnare av A' Design Award i Guld, ett oerhört prestigefyllt erkännande som tilldelas förstklassiga, underbara och enastående designverk. Guldvinnare är utomordentligt innovativa, visionära och glamoröst bländande skapelser som speglar sina formgivares briljans, visdom och skicklighet. Spiral of Life Primärfunktion: Glasservis förväntas vara en högt prisad, trendsättande och monumental uppfinning som levererar oöverträffat värde. Detta vinnande verk i A' Design Award i Guld är ett spektakulärt, respekterat projekt som i hög grad gagnar och flyttar fram gränserna för konst, vetenskap, design och teknik. Spiral of Life Primärfunktion: Glasservis skapar intensiva känslor av längtan, väcker passion, uppmuntrar kreativitet och fascinerar oss.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Fibonacci spirals follow strict mathematical laws yet appear organic and asymmetrical, resisting simple geometric repetition. Traditional Kiriko requires precise vertical and horizontal guidelines before cutting; however, standard grids cannot capture this natural fluctuation while ensuring reproducibility. To solve this, I developed a hybrid approach: maintaining the Fibonacci count with guidelines while manually adjusting each cut to ensure a smooth, living trajectory.
Dimensions & Packaging: The product dimensions are as follows: The rock glass is 77mm in diameter and 92mm in height, as shown in the main image. In optional image #1, the wine glass is 58mm in diameter and 150mm in height. In optional image #2, the soba cups are 81mm in diameter and 62mm in height. In optional image #3, the sake cup is 60mm in diameter and 60mm in height. Finally, the top views of the sake cup and soba cup filled with water are shown in optional image #4.
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: Through rigorous prototyping, I established a specialized system. Smaller vessels like sake cups use an 8 to 13 spiral ratio, while larger items like wine and rock glasses employ a 13 to 21 ratio to maintain proportion. For vessels with decorative bases, such as a soba cup, I meticulously integrated an 8 to 13 spiral on the bottom to enhance aesthetic coherence. This precise scaling was essential to capturing the Spiral of Life across the entire collection.
Research: A true Fibonacci spiral requires clockwise and counterclockwise counts to be adjacent numbers in the sequence. To ensure visual balance and mathematical integrity, I conducted extensive research to determine the optimal pairings, such as 8 to 13 or 13 to 21, based on specific glass diameters and curvatures. This study ensured that the mathematical beauty remains consistent.
Inspiration: I initially struggled to translate the relationship between the sun and the sunflower into glass. The breakthrough came via my daughter Ree, an artist and paint dancer, who shared my fascination with the sunflower Fibonacci spiral. This pattern blends mathematical law with organic asymmetry. Ree physicalized this sequence by synchronizing her leg drawn spiral counts with Fibonacci numbers. Witnessing this kinetic manifestation inspired me to transpose these complex spirals onto Kiriko glass.
Project Duration: The project started in December 2025 in Tokushima, Japan, and finished in February 2026.
Operation Flow: The streamline motifs are executed with wide-angle V cuts. When viewed from the side, patterns on the far surface refract through the front, creating complex layered intersections that evoke the mystery of life. From a top-down perspective, the precise Fibonacci sequence achieves a profound, harmonious balance. The design invokes a rhythmic and engaging experience, mimicking a living pulse. This interaction between light and geometry brings dynamic vitality to the glassware.
Patents: The design is being applied for design registration and will receive copyright protection for registered designs in December 2026 in Japan.
Image Credits: Video Credits:
To demonstrate the rhythmic harmony and life-like pulse of the design, the video showcases the glassware in rotation. This highlights how the patterns shift and intersect dynamically as the perspective changes, illustrating the Spiral of Life concept through the interaction of light, shadow, and the intricate Kiriko hand cuts.