Bio-Vide by takuma1122 from japan

As though looking through a black box, we have begun to lose sight of the many parts of our daily lives that were once essential to us.

In our current society many of these things have been turned into a systematic processes, and we have lost consciousness of the greater picture.

Consequently, as these simplified, mass-produced products become more and more commonplace, we have begun to take everything for granted, thinking that all things can be produced without limits.

We no longer even think to consider where or how these objects came to us, how they were made, or what will happen after we dispose of them.

The unique sense of quiet loneliness, and perhaps even emptiness, that one feels when we see something reach its end: It’s this very feeling, that can often be quite hard to put in to words, that I feel holds a special importance. This enigmatic “something" is what I aimed to express through my “Setsuna - Fallen leaves product"

One could say that this envelope, which has been designed so that only to the part that will be teared open is made out of leaves, was created to make people feel a sense of finality and meaning through their actions.

I thought that, by incorporating one of nature’s own materials into a standardized product such as a envelope, this work would help people to feel a deeper sense of emotion within their everyday procedures.

It can be created by mixing fallen leaves with a resin and then setting the mixture using a hot press.

This board was purposely designed to be not quite as strong as plywood, helping to emphasize visually the concept of “returning to the earth."

The main constructional components of dead leaves, including; cellulose, hemicellulose polysaccharides, lignin, lipid, and carbonyl, happen to be nearly the same elements that are found in most types of wood.

In the past, glue was most commonly used as the bonding agent for plywood.

However, while looking for ways to further express my theme of “returning to the earth", I realized that a lignin-type adhesive resin or a biodegradable poly lactic acid might be a better alternative to glue.

By using such ingredients, I think we might be able to create a more efficient, more biodegradable material.