max lamb and kwangho lee design tajimi custom tile furniture

tajimi city is the center of the japanese tile industry, with a centuries-old tradition of craftsmanship and excellence. the area spreads along the southern side of gifu prefecture in central japan, and its soil contains clay rich in minerals suitable for ceramic production. while the majority of local companies specialize in high-volume production of standard tiles, there remains a number of smaller, highly-specialized manufacturers which use both alternative production methods and traditional japanese glazing and firing. TAJIMI CUSTOM TILES works with the most skilled craftspeople, using a range of raw materials, production and firing methods to create custom-tailored tiles in any size, shape, color or texture.

in 2018, TAJIMI CUSTOM TILES initiated a collaboration with designers max lamb and kwangho lee. the company tasked them to design experimental objects using local materials and production methods that express the potential and the beauty of tajimi tiles. with the aim to launch the brand worldwide, the objects were intended to be presented in an extensive installation at milan design week 2020. however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition was cancelled, and is now being held in tokyo through november 3, 2020 as part of DESIGNART tokyo 2020. following which, it will be presented as a walkable 3D tour online.

designboom is in tokyo and has visited the exhibition to document the works on view. see images from our visit below, with sketches from the designers and behind-the-scenes views in the gallery at the bottom of the page.

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

as part of the exhibition and collaboration, max lamb presents ‘working tile’, showcasing what makes tajimi a unique manufacturing location and what TAJIMI CUSTOM TILES hopes to achieve. lamb has designed a set of modular, three-dimensional tiles that can generate countless shapes and forms. the resulting objects take on characteristics of vases, sofas, tables, benches and partition walls. lamb used typical clays with characteristic earthy attributes, and special glazes with ambiguous colors that pay homage to classic japanese tiles. his production method is pressure moulding, which allows for the creation of highly-precise, 3-dimensional shapes and patterns.

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

meanwhile, kwangho lee drew influence from one of the typical production methods in tajimi — clay extrusion. for the project ‘tide’ presented at the exhibition in tokyo, he created a module with a section in the form of a looped line, which can be extruded to different lengths in order to assume different functions. the modules can also be stacked horizontally or vertically to form various objects, like walls or benches. when aligned, the modules bear a repeated loop that has an almost hand-drawn quality, and is reminiscent of knitted fabric. knitting has been an important theme across kwangho lee’s practice, and in his work with tiles, he references the varying states of clay — from initially soft and malleable to ultimately hard and fixed.

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

TAJIMI CUSTOM TILES was launched by X’S under the creative direction of david glaettli as a platform to create unique, innovative tiles specifically for international architects and interior designers. the makers of tajimi tiles are unique in that they are versed in a variety of techniques for production, glazing and firing. the resulting tiles are characterized by a warm, hand-made appearance, with slight irregularities in color and texture that are distinctive, and valued as embodiments of japanese aesthetics. max lamb and kwangho lee’s exhibition in tokyo can be visited virtually as a walkable 3D tour online beginning on november 3, 2020.

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

image courtesy of tajimi custom tiles

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

installation view of work by max lamb | image © designboom

image courtesy of tajimi custom tiles

image by kenta hasegawa

image by kenta hasegawa

image by kenta hasegawa

image by kenta hasegawa

installation view of work by kwangho lee | image © designboom

installation view of work by kwangho lee | image © designboom

installation view of work by kwangho lee | image © designboom

installation view of work by kwangho lee | image © designboom

installation view of work by kwangho lee | image © designboom

installation view of work by kwangho lee | image © designboom

installation view of work by kwangho lee | image © designboom

image by kenta hasegawa

image by kenta hasegawa

image by kenta hasegawa

image by kenta hasegawa

image by kenta hasegawa

image courtesy of tajimi custom tiles

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exhibition info: 

TAJIMI CUSTOM TILES TOKYO 2020
dates: october 31 – november 3, 2020*
venue: mahal, jingumae 5-12-1, shibuya, tokyo
exhibiting designers: max lamb, kwangho lee
presented during: DESIGNART tokyo 2020
*the exhibition can also be visited virtually as a walkable 3D tour online beginning on november 3, 2020