2023
/ Eco Design
/ Sustainable: Eco Design Products
/ Student
Radiance of Nature with Urushi

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PrizesWinner in ECO DESIGN/Sustainable: Eco Design Products
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Lead DesignerYu Watanabe
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Design TeamTakahiko Sato (Urushi artisan), Hiroaki Nakagawa (Bamboo artisan)
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Project Link
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UniversityCentral 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.

Photo Credit: Yu Watanabe








