Radiance of Nature with Urushi Taa by Yu Watanabe is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Bidhaa na Vifaa vya Mwangaza Competition Category.
FedhaMwangaza· 2024
Radiance of Nature with Urushi Taa
by Yu Watanabe
Client: Yu Watanabe
Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award Winner in Mwangaza Category
- 78,009
- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #154276
The Design
About Radiance of Nature with Urushi Taa
Inapatikana kutokana na utomvu wa asili unaovunwa kwa njia endelevu nchini Japani, laka ya Urushi inawekwa kwenye mwanzi kuunda nafasi ya kuzamisha katikati ya maumbo yanayofanana na miti. Tofauti na utamaduni wa Magharibi, ambapo watu huondoa vivuli kutoka nafasi, mradi huu unakusudia kuunda vivuli kama sehemu ya uzuri wa kisanaa. Nguzo za Urushi zinaweza kuakisi mwanga wa aina ya mshumaa katika chumba cha giza, zikitoa mwangaza wa kung'aa unaotoa hisia ya kina cha giza. Sifa za kipekee za umbo na mwanga huunda mwingiliano wa kusisimua wa mionzi ya mwanga na vivuli vinavyoamsha nafasi ndogo inayokumbusha asili.
The Recognition
About the Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award
Radiance of Nature with Urushi Taa ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima kubwa ya ajabu unaotolewa kwa miundo ya hali ya juu kabisa, ya kupendeza na ya kuvutia. Washindi wa Fedha ni kazi zinazong'aa mno na bunifu kupita kiasi zinazoonyesha utaalamu bora, kipaji na busara ya wabunifu wao. Radiance of Nature with Urushi Taa inatarajiwa kuwa kazi nzuri ya kuigwa ambayo ni ya kitaalamu kwa kiasi kikubwa na yenye ubunifu wa kina. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award ni uvumbuzi unaojulikana sana na kupendwa, unaonufaisha na kupanua mipaka ya sanaa, sayansi, usanifu na teknolojia. Radiance of Nature with Urushi Taa ni kazi inayotamaniwa mno inayochochea hamu, huleta hisia chanya na huzua mshangao na mastaajabu.
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/
Sponsored
Explore Beyond Designers.org
Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.
More to Explore
Related Designs
Explore more award-winning designs from the same category, selected by merit.
