traditional japanese craft informs jo nagasaka's furniture for ichiro

traditional japanese craft informs jo nagasaka’s furniture for ichiro
photo © hirotaka hashimoto

traditional japanese art and craft techniques inform jo nagasaka’s (of schemata architects) furniture for ichiro. the designer / architect has conceived two distinct collections that employ ‘take kago’ – the use of bamboo in the the context of weaving; and ‘shibari’ – the means of tying something with string, in their conceptual form and aesthetic – both of which were presented at spazio rossana orlandi during milan design week 2014,

‘to the light #3’
bamboo, paper
∅590 × H650
image © designboom

nagasaka’s development of the ‘take kago’ series sees him combining bamboo with contemporary materials to create lightweight furniture. composed of lighting, low tables, baskets and a bench, each piece is developed without any type elaborate machinery – simply using traditional craftsmanship.

woven bamboo forms the shade of the ‘to the light’ lamps
image © designboom

‘to the light’ consists of three pieces which see the employment of bamboo and paper, used independently, to form two-way fixtures: one to illuminate upwards in an indirect way; and the other to send brilliance directly downwards. the inner core of the lamp shades are a moulded, concave paper form, lined in a metallic finish that reflects warmth throughout the environment where they rest. this component can be moved vertically within the bamboo structure to adjust luminosity. ‘to the light #1’ and ‘to the light #2′ are suspended, while ”to the light #3’ is a floor version.

detail of the inner paper structure’s reflective surface
image © designboom

‘to the light#3’, ‘to the bench’, ‘to the low table #1’ and ‘to the low table #3’
image © designboom

‘to the low table #1’
image © designboom

‘to the low table’ is a set of three stands defined by different colors. a woven bamboo framework shapes the cylindrical structures, which are then cast in epoxy resin generating different hues (blues, greens and reds) on the sides of the designs. this is the first occasion in which nagasaka has used the viscous plastic material to cast a vertical surface.

detail of the bamboo framework cast in resin
photo © hirotaka hashimoto

‘to the bench’
bamboo, rubber
W1100 × D520 × H456
image © designboom

the ‘take kago’ collection is rounded out by benches and baskets. similar to the lighting systems, ‘to the bench’ and ‘to the basket’ have woven bamboo structures as their base, which are reinforced by a rubber coating. this latter step of course makes the seating strong enough to sit on, while remaining very lightweight.

installation view of ‘to the light #2’ (left) and ‘to the light #1’ (right)
‘to the light #1’, bamboo, paper, ∅620 × H500
‘to the light #2’, bamboo, paper, ∅620 × H300
image © designboom

‘still basket #1’ (bottom) and ‘still basket #2’ (top)
‘still basket #1’, bamboo, rubber, W450 × D450 × H450
‘still basket #2’, bamboo, rubber, W450 × D450 × H450
image © designboom

installation view of jo nagasaka’s furniture for ichiro presented at spazio rossana orlandi during milan design week 2014
image © designboom

‘shibari #4’
urethane
W600 × D600 × H450
image © designboom

the second collection of furniture is informed by the japanese art of rope tying, ‘shibari’. nagasaka has conceived four stools which demonstrate this technique in which a sponge sheet is folded and then bound with rope to create each seating object. the tightness with which nagasaka secures the foam together results in soft curves, while at the same time exhibiting a certain resistance. the knots serve a functional purpose, acting as handles to easily carry the stools around.

‘shibari #2’
urethane
W500 × D600 × H450
image © designboom