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Architecture firm MS4D, led by Keiji Ashizawa and Katsuhiro Shimizu, created this awesome depiction of their new studio to tell people they had relocated. I’m totally snagging this idea.
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click to enlarge
Architecture firm MS4D, led by Keiji Ashizawa and Katsuhiro Shimizu, created this awesome depiction of their new studio to tell people they had relocated. I’m totally snagging this idea.
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Earlier this week the 100-day mark was breached, counting down to the start of the 2010 Shanghai EXPO. Japan unveiled their pavilion awkwardly titled “Eco-Breathing Architecture.” I twittered about my dislike of the structure and received a bunch of feedback confirming that I was not alone in my thoughts. So I thought I would post the pictures here to see what others thought. In short, I think it looks like a blob of protoplasm, greedily consuming everything in its path. Not a very sustainable vision. More pictures over at Nikkei Kenplatz.(login required)
Images © JETRO
It was designed by Yutaka Hikosaka, of Space Incubator, an architectural and environmental design firm. He was responsible for the Nagakute Japan Pavilion (Aichi EXPO 2005) and the Dairinkai Water Fantasium (Osaka EXPO 1990).
In their first news item of 2010, Japanese furniture distributor E&Y posted this teaser image of a table designed by Koichi Futatsumata of Case-Real. The cat hammock doubles as a table because all us cat owners know our lives revolve around them. It will be available this Spring.
Ok, I can’t restrain myself any longer. CUTENESS!!!!
screen shots. click to enlarge
Considering the proliferation of iPods amongst…well, pretty much everyone, I’m surprised that no one has tapped into the customized earphones market. Based out of Tokyo and launched in 2009, Kotori claims to be the only company in the world to offer such a service. For just 3,600 yen the user-friendly interface guides you through the process of color-customizing up to 10 components to create your very own unique set of earphones. They also let you choose from a bunch of themes or, if you are lazy like me, hit the crazy shuffle button for randomized action.
Concerned about compromising sound quality? Don’t be. Kotori is a service launched by Fostex, the Japanese manufacturer of audio equipment, who is single-handedly responsible for the ubiquitous white iPod earphones.
(thanks seki riu!)
The latest product from design studio Microworks is this insanely adorable ladder ruler. If price was not an issue I would definitely have a few of these propped up against the wall of my desk! They come in black and silver and you can buy them here for about $60.
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Looking to pimp your iPhone in 400-year old bling? Maruwakaya has designed an iPhone cover made from Inden, a process dating back to the early edo period when artisans used tanned deerskin to make shoes and pouches. The design, which reorients traditional crafts as an evolving modern technique, was originally showcased during Design Tide ’09 in Tokyo.
They are available in 4 traditional Japanese patterns, and two colors, black or yellow. Black goes for 11,000 yen while yellow is 12,500 yen. The limited editions are being shipped on February 1, 2010 and you have to fill out this form if you want to get in line.
Here is your tid-bit for the day: there is only one man in all of Japan who is an official Inden artisan, with a license from the state. (according to wikipedia)
via voice of kyoto
I realize that “sculptor” may not be the most accurate description of Mitsuru Katsumoto but I dislike the term “multimedia artist” so indulge me in my peculiarities as I attempt to convey my thoughts about the artist. Mitsuru Katsumoto was born 1961 in Shiga Prefecture. Her first exhibition took place at Gallery Eve in 1995 and was aptly titled “Secret Garden.” Since then her work has revolved around the curious and mysterious, often offering sneak peeks into her secretive world of eye-catching details and anachronistic furnishings.
click to enlarge. Courtesy Galleria Graffica Tokyo
clockwise: poster for a field, a home (2007) | living things-flora (2004) | a field, a home (2007)
Katsumoto walks an interesting line between cute and surreal and maintains, I might add, just enough cuteness to remain within the mainstream likings of the Japanese. Furthermore, by including French-Antique charm to the formula she is practically guaranteeing herself a fan-base. That’s not to undermine her work in any way though. There is no doubt in my mind that Katsumoto creates beautiful pieces that keep me coming back to them time after time.
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top: a study in green grass (2002) | all other images part of the “Odd” collection
Her latest exhibition “Odd,” which concluded late last year at the Yukiko Koide gallery, was an ode to some of the more hand-made oddities of her career. I particularly enjoy her vintage postcards – probably the quirkiest of her work.
click to enlarge. Courtesy Mademoiselle Loulou
Finally, here is a sneak peak into 2 of her photo books that she has published. At the top is Study In Green (2008), an intimate exploration into everything from animal fur to boxes, that are, of course, green or dyed green. Below that is One Day (2007), a compilation of Katsumoto’s early work. Both are fascinating meditations on the relationship between art and design.
click to enlarge. Courtesy milebooks
This clever design done for the holiday season somehow slipped under my radar and into one of my wife’s magazines. The Bottle Baguette (3,700 yen), by Japanese haute couture heavyweight Issey Miyake, is a essentially pretty packaging for a wine bottle to be used when attending dinner parties. The packaging then remains on the bottle, which can be transformed into a flower vase.
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This weekend New York was hit with a bout of cold weather. All the stations were hyping it as the coldest temperatures of the winter so far. We figured, if not now, when do we succumb to the corrupt border-town sheriff, also known as central heating? So we reluctantly flipped on the switch and, as we heard the motor begin to hum, immediately sensed the iron hand descend, securing us from the outside frost for the price of every last penny of moisture.
We have yet to find a humidifier that we like because every crappy one becomes a cesspool of bacteria within days. And all the other ones are either too bulky, too ugly or too expensive. Until today. Meet Mast, an exquisite creation of pure Hinoki (Japanese Cypress), recently designed by Shin Okada and crafted by Masuya Koubou. Known for its high-quality timber, rot-resistant qualities and lemony scent, the thinly sliced Hinoki mast absorbs water from the hull and diffuses it, and its intrinsic aroma, into the room. And it goes without saying, but no electricity needed. I am willing to bet money that it will look more elegant than the damp washcloth draped over my ceiling fan.
You can purchase it here.
For all you late-bloomers and procrastinators still looking to get your 2010 on, check out this beautiful calendar by Japanese illustrator Nobumasa Takahashi. Recognize the name or the work? That is because you know him as the illustrator of the brilliant Art Space Tokyo, by Ashley Rawlings and Craig Mod.
The calendar is on sale at Cibone for 2,300 yen.
