2023 / Eco Design / Sustainable: Eco Design Products / Student

Radiance of Nature with Urushi

• Prizes
  Winner in ECO DESIGN/Sustainable: Eco Design Products
• Lead Designer
  Yu Watanabe
• Design Team
  Takahiko Sato (Urushi artisan), Hiroaki Nakagawa (Bamboo artisan)
• Project Link
  view
• University
  Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London

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 us with nature. Unlike the West, where people remove shadows from their space, the Japanese embrace shadows aesthetically as a part of beauty. Urushi has qualities that reflect even the smallest light. Through the arrangement of tree-like shapes, the play of light and shadows can immerse us in a microcosmic space reminiscent of nature.