New at OEN Shop – Miniature Zen Gardens by FUJIGOKE
Just at the base of Mt.Fuji is a special farm run by the craftsmen at FUJIGOKE. Here they grow and prepare high quality moss used at many of the temples and traditional gardens found in Japan. With a goal to develop products that showcase the beauty found in nature, they came up with a special [&hel
Floating in Space – No Vase Series by Studio Moisés Hernández
I have always been drawn to this idea of “emptiness”. I’m sure part of that comes from an inner desire to strip back and appreciate the simple things in life. Reducing complexity. It’s not that easy in this day and age with so many distractions all around us. I believe the in
Searching for Mood – Photography by Simone Bossi
One of the most underrated aspects of any creative pursuit is the entry point it can offer in to other creative fields as a result of being “in the creative process”. Photography has been a classic example of this. Many of the great designers and artists have used photography as a way of
New at OEN Shop – Tumi-isi Wooden Stacking Blocks by A4
I have always been drawn to those stacked pebbles found by the side of rivers or streams. It’s rare to come across them, but it always made me wonder about who stacked them and why. Kind of mysterious. When I stumbled in to these stacking blocks by Japanese design studio A4 it made we think [&
Fostering Character – Sculptural Ceramics by Päivi Rintaniemi
Material itself is, ironically, often the one thing standing in the way of seeing the physical manifestation of an idea. Only time and dedication, to keep pushing forward even when your vision can not be seen in the finished object, is the way to finally see some promising results. Even then it migh
New at OEN Shop – Abstract Artworks by Dominique Lutringer
It’s interesting how art takes on a whole new meaning and presence when you know the entire backstory. I visited the Villa Chochikuyo (read my article here) built in 1928 by the architect Koji Fujii in Kyoto a few years back. This property was considered to be the first “eco house”, applyi
Details Reconsidered – Furniture & Objects by Hayo Gebauer Studio
Charles and Ray Eames wrote, “The details are not the details; they make the product”. So true. So what if you really examine those details and reinterpret them. Offering a completely new experience on the traditional and bringing awareness to the simplicities in our everyday lives. That
Organic Simplicity – The Forest Villa by Mjölk Architects
If you are also inspired by the natural architectural style of Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright it would make sense that you would also be attracted by Czech studio Mjölk’s works as well. Their style is not flashy but blends in wonderfully with the surrounding landscape and each build has
Elements of Surprise – Prints & Paintings by Anna Ullman
“When I go into the studio, I like to be surprised,” says American artist Anna Ullman, neatly summing up the freestyle energy of her paintings and prints. Her practice swings in pendulums between hard-edge geometry and free-style expressionism, but uniting these two divergent strands is an ongoi
New at OEN Shop – Ceramics by Potter Keisuke Okazaki
With so many new arrivals it can be easy to overlook some of the other artist’s that we have been supporting for a while. Japanese potter Keisuke Okazaki’s work always leaves me in awe with his perfect, thin ceramics that are stippled using brushes and sponges to reflect the ‘wabi
Rhythms of Nature – Artworks by Anette Hallback
Quiet ripples seem to pass through Swedish artist Anette Hallback’s canvases, suggesting lapping waves, icy fjords or layered hills rising up from the horizon. Her textural surfaces are made with linen dipped in off-white, beige or pale grey plaster, which are then shaped into sculptural waves tha
Fusing Design & Play – Cloud Furniture Series by Veermakers
There’s a fine line between whimsical and something that veers more toward the tacky side. Saying that, I have to applaud designers who try to incorporate shapes of nature in to their work, as the risk is much higher. When it does succeed the pay off is high. One of those studios who I think [
