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 [&
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
New at OEN Shop – Woodwork by Japanese Studio OITECO
Visually appealing design is always nice to see, but sometime’s it’s skin-deep. That’s why craft is so underrated, the subtle change over time and the inconsistencies matches with a good design make for something that grows with you rather than away from you. OITECO drew me in with
New at OEN Shop – Cutlery by Metalworker Rieko Fujimoto
Just on the outskirts of Osaka is where Japanese metalworker Rieko Fujimoto resides, crafting tableware out her quaint studio. Thanks to her fascination with collecting classic metalworking tools, from hammers to files and even a tree stump used for hundreds of years to craft tools (see the last pho
New at OEN Shop – Glassware Handcrafted by Saki Fujimoto
Just a quick update this week to let you know that we have now updated our selection of tableware handmade by glass artist Saki Fujimoto. We introduced Saki Fujimoto’s work last year and have delivered her beautiful glassware all around the globe from her studio located in Toyama, Japan. Each
New at OEN Shop – A Selection of Woodwork by Chitose
Craft does have some limits. One of course is the material of choice. There are only so many applications of a certain material, with the characteristics and properties guiding a specific purpose. Not necessarily a negative, but this does explain why we see so many forms that are very similar. Chito
New at OEN Shop – Handmade Vases by Japanese Studio Vaseman
Vase C1 by Vaseman at OEN Shop A beautiful stoneware vase series handmade in Japan. This project titled ‘Vaseman’ was founded by the Japanese designers at 3rd Ceramics in 2020. The concept of this series being to show the dramatic colours and beautiful flowing forms of the pottery made i
New at OEN Shop – Tableware by Japanese Woodworker Takeshi Oike
Woodworker Takeshi Oike has combined his background as an engineer and architect to found Mujina Woodwork in 2016. Here he crafts functional woodworks that are simple but full of character. Oike does not try to hide or mask the marks left by his chisel. Each one is incorporated in to the design, usi
New at OEN Shop – Cutlery by Lue Brass Industrial Now Available
We previously highlighted our new shipment arriving from Japanese metalworker Ruka Kikuchi of Lue Brass. His ‘Industrial Design’ collection has now come in to stock and we are shipping these out in 1-2 days from our studio. Ruka worked closely with a local metalworking studio in Japan to
New at OEN – Ceramic Teapots & Cups by Nankei Pottery
Sencha 150 Teapot White by Nankei We are pleased to announce that our first shipment of work by Nankei has now arrived and we will start shipping them out this week to all of those who pre-ordered. These wonderful works are something to marvel at. So light and exquisitely accurate in their productio
New at OEN Shop – Handcrafted Lacquerware by Tomoaki Nakano
Exquisite Japanese Lacquerware by Japanese Craftsman Tomoaki Nakano After the rare arrival of Fumihiro Toda’s pottery we now have a special release of lacquerware by Tomoaki Nakano. We have represented Tomoaki for many years now, but due to his popularity in Japan taking part in many big exhib
New at OEN Shop – Indigo Dyed Trays by Mori Kougei
Indigo Dyeing at the Mori Kougei Workshop I paid homage to indigo and its properties in OEN Issue 2. On a visit to highly regarded indigo-dyer Toshiharu Furusho’s studio he taught me the history behind indigo and how it is vital to the Tokushima area in Japan. So when I discovered the work of fell
