Offering New Potential – Suspended Wire Sculpture by Studio Note
Our relationship with architecture is often seen as purely functional. People forget that there’s important psychological aspects to architecture that play a part in cultivating the way we live and experience life itself. What can be more important than that? The cocoon-like nature of a home o
FUTURE PAST – Antiques & Objects Explored by Ryosuke Harashima
It’s interesting how designers and artists alike are attracted to very similar worlds. You often see those with similar ideals as yourself congregate in the same locations or make the pilgrimage to those works by different design icons. Tadao Ando is an architect in which I have always admired, an
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
White Noise – Abstract Paintings by Hideaki Yamanobe
Scratch 2012 – Sudden Rain, 2012 Japanese painter Hideaki Yamanobi’s discreet, minimal paintings are a masterclass in understatement, exploring how subtle nuances of colour and texture can convey quietly brewing mystery. Uneven passages of white paint are built up slowly onto dark grounds th
New at OEN Shop – Metalwork by Japanese Artisan Tomomi Ishikawa
The appeal of functional ware for me is the time spent and connection shared with such necessary pieces of design. There’s also something fascinating about an object that melts away and becomes a lifelong companion. Tokyo-based metalworker Tomomi Ishikawa grabbed my attention with his characte
Transforming the Ordinary – FRAME House by Kouichi Kimura Architects
This is Japanese architecture at its best! Designed by Kouichi Kimura Architects, the FRAME House is located in Shiga, Japan and has been wonderfully captured here by talented photographer Norihito Yamauchi. Built adjacent to small stream and a selection of cherry trees, Kimura’s goal was to c
New in the Shop – Ceramics by Maiko Wakasugi of Studio Bwanji
I think porcelain is such a beautiful material and when I saw Japanese artist Maiko Wakasugi’s work I had to reach out to her. The vertical inlayed lines on the body of her porcelain pieces catch the light wonderfully and add intrigue that’s sometimes lacking in such a pure white colour. Using a
New in the Shop – The Art of Monozukuri Expressed by Metalworkers SyuRo
On the face of it the Japanese word ‘Monozukuri’ means literally “to make things” in Japanese. But the relationship between human and object is much stronger than one might first assume. The appreciation for hand techniques, craftsmanship, and ethic are all wrapped in to this
Stone Cut – A Short Film on Sculptor Etsuro Sotoo by David Cerqueiro
Who doesn’t like a good short film? I came across this stunning piece by Director David Cerqueiro for NOWNESS titled ‘Stone Cut’ that gives us the rare insight in to the lie of sculptor Etsuro Sotoo. Hi work is certainly rare; working on the unfinished masterpiece Basilca Sagrada F
New in the Shop – Handcrafted Iron Work by Readymade Products
Manufactured in Fukuoka, Japan are these beautiful cast iron pots branded under the name Readymade Products, a project that’s led by designer Izumi Yoshida. The Yoshida Mould Factory, founded by Izumi’s grandfather in 1934, produces casting moulds for all types of industrial uses and the
New at OEN Shop – Handcrafted Ceramics by Yoko Ozawa
Yoko Ozawa’s work hit my radar in 2011 and has continued to peak my interest ever since. Last year we met in person and talked about the idea of placing some of her ceramics in the shop. Today is the day we release her first collection! The ‘White Stump’ series references both the
