adrian cheng × shigeru uchida: 'wander from within' exhibition at LIXIL gallery tokyo

at LIXIL gallery in tokyo, an exhibition unveils the first artisanal furniture collection created in collaboration between cultural entrepreneur and designer adrian cheng and master designer and craftsman shigeru uchida. from now through october 28, ‘wander from within’ explores the role of furniture in breaking physical connections to daily life, and ‘channelling the mind to live in the ephemeral, singular moment far from the ordinary’. a collection of five objects and a tea room seek to investigate the definition of space, as well as the important relationship between man and nature.

image © wander from within

within LIXIL gallery, visitors find a tea room. shigeru uchida designed three tea houses, each bearing a different structural form. built from bamboo with a japanese paper lining, the small-scale rooms can be dismantled and re-assembled in different locations. this tea room was where adrian cheng and shigeru uchida held their final design meeting.

ritualistically, the relationships surrounding the tea ceremony begins on the ‘roji’, or path in a garden, where guests put aside their worries. the location of the actual ceremony was not always a room or a house originally, but simply a demarcated realm — the historical form of the tea room developed in the 15th century from the tatami room.

image © wander from within

the exhibition features five works created in collaboration between the two designers. ‘au1’ is a bench that seeks to
achieve a sense of calmness – a state of mind that mankind has long been seeking. ‘au1 puts the sitter at ease, bringing one closer to nature.’

sitters within ‘au2’ are embraced by the lightness of japanese chestnut wood and an enveloping form, designed to resemble a cove or valley. the chair becomes a haven for meditation, over which are expansive mountain ranges that spread out like the arms of mother nature, symbolically protecting those inside from troubling thoughts.

‘au4’ lamp, ‘au5’ low table and ‘au1’ bench
image © wander from within

transformability – a distinctive characteristic of the ‘au3’ bench and partition screen – carries the association of our ever-changing sky, across which clouds float. furthermore, it implies a relationship with the surrounding environment. when the screen is folded, light is softened by a subtle veil of mist; when the screen is set aside, the morning mist dissipates. it becomes a bench for meditation, as well as an inviting place for companionship.

‘au3’
image © wander from within

‘au4’ and ‘au5’ express the idea that out of darkness, something beautiful can emerge. as the only lighting piece of the collection, ‘au4’ illuminates the surroundings and hints at the truth, wisdom and guidance one can obtain in silence. meanwhile, ‘au5’ low table offers a space for reflection and encourages one to move inward in the journey of imagination.

‘au2’
image © wander from within