Argento Illuminazione · 2024
Radiance of Nature with Urushi Illuminazione
by Yu Watanabe
- A' Design Award d'Argento 2024 in Illuminazione
- CLIENT: Yu Watanabe
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 78,009
- Verification code 688C5EDD03 · Verify this award
Colors
About Radiance of Nature with Urushi Illuminazione
Derivata da linfa naturale raccolta in modo sostenibile in Giappone, la lacca Urushi viene applicata al bambù creando uno spazio immersivo tra forme arboree. A differenza della cultura occidentale, dove si eliminano le ombre dallo spazio, questo progetto crea intenzionalmente ombre come parte della bellezza estetica. Le colonne di Urushi possono riflettere una luce simile a quella di una candela in una stanza buia, emanando un bagliore luminoso che trasmette un senso della profondità dell'oscurità. Le proprietà uniche di forma e luce creano un'incantevole interazione di riflessi luminosi e ombre, evocando uno spazio microcosmico che richiama la natura.
About the A' Design Award d'Argento
Radiance of Nature with Urushi Illuminazione ha vinto l'A' Design Award d'Argento, un riconoscimento enormemente prestigioso conferito a design di fascia alta, splendidi e impressionanti. I vincitori d'Argento sono opere tremendamente brillanti ed estremamente creative che illustrano l'eccezionale competenza, il talento e l'acume dei loro designer. Ci si aspetta che Radiance of Nature with Urushi Illuminazione sia un'opera meravigliosa, una vetrina di eccellenza, notevolmente professionale e profondamente innovativa. Questo design vincitore dell'A' Design Award d'Argento è un'invenzione molto notevole e ammirata che giova ai confini dell'arte, della scienza, del design e della tecnologia e li fa avanzare. Radiance of Nature with Urushi Illuminazione è una creazione molto invidiata che evoca desideri, porta sentimenti positivi e accende meraviglia e stupore.
Press Kit
- 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/
