Curating with Craft - Torchin, Tameko, Hasami, Santa & Cole, Fredericia and Yoko Sakamoto

CURATING WITH CRAFT

Curated and photographed by Pablo de Pinho.

We believe that by creating designs that do not interfere with the nature of the materials and silhouettes, we can make the most of their original qualities of the materials. We hope to pass on and communicate the skills of the craftsmen involved in our work in a better way and that this will lead to the creation of products that will enrich the lives of the wearers and be one of their favourite items in their closet the would have for a long time to come. - Yoko Sakamoto

FREDERICIA: Since its foundation in 1911, the family-owned company Fredericia has built a strong tradition of craftsmanship and design, developed in close collaboration with a circle of internationally recognised designers. They all play a part in the design and craftsmanship brand Fredericia is today. Forming a creative culture characterised by integrity, artistic expression, material expertise and knowledge. The company was initially established as Fredericia Stolefabrik (Fredericia Chair Factory). From the very start, Fredericia became known for extremely high-quality furniture in various tradition styles. In 1955, visionary businessman Andreas Graversen integrated Fredericia's heritage of high-quality furniture with modernist ideals in a close, well-known collaboration with Børge Mogensen. Mogensen's intuitive understanding of materials and strong sense of proportions led to a range of iconic pieces celebrated to this day - by collectors, museums, architects and designers around the world.

The charm of HASAMI PORCELAIN lies in the feeling when the vessel touches your hand or mouth. Compared to porcelain, it has a tighter, sharper feel, and a softer, more organic feel than regular porcelain. The matte texture and color brought about by the unique texture of the material will not feel out of place when paired with any kind of food, and will complement your food and drinks. Unlike tableware that is mass-produced in a single factory, HASAMI PORCELAIN tableware requires manual work in many processes, including glazing. The division of labor has been passed down in the Hasami region's pottery industry since ancient times, and multiple kilns are involved in the production, and the environment inside the kilns changes depending on the season and temperature. For this reason, each piece of HASAMI PORCELAIN has its own individuality, with the base material being reddish and the texture of the glaze changing. There may be slight individual differences in form and size. Such individuality is unique to ceramics and creates a unique landscape. Therein lies the inherent charm of ceramics, which is not found in uniform industrial products. 

TORCHIN: Carry, light, and relax. Yame lanterns are a traditional craft from Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, that boasts a history of around 200 years. We've made these lanterns easy to carry and take anywhere, such as the living room or bedroom, so that you can enjoy their soft, gentle light as interior décor that adds warmth to your daily life.

This month, o-Bon chōchin (paper lantern) artisans Shiraki Kougei announced the release of Torchin, a series of portable, contemporary lamps crafted under the consulting and production advice of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten and in collaboration with design unit Tent. Based in Fukuoka Prefecture, Shiraki Kougei specializes in the regional Yame style of o-Bon chōchin — washi paper-covered lanterns with hibukuro (firebox) frames of spiraled split-bamboo strips or wire. The new Torchin series translates five simple geometric shapes — circle, oblong, oval, square and bell — into three-dimensional firebox forms that echo Yame ellipsoids. A simple cylindrical beechwood stand transforms each Torchin into a table lamp that can also be held like a torch. Nothing interrupts Tent’s contemporary design of clean lines. The shade’s translucent washi is left white, a touch-sensitive round button is positioned to neatly cover the firebox opening at the top and, as a rechargeable lamp with a running time of up to 35 hours on its dimmest setting, no unsightly cable is needed when in use. - The Japan Times

Santa & Cole is a small, independent and global editor of design products, with its roots in Belloch (Barcelona, Spain). We have been editing since 1985, when the company was first founded. By editing we mean preparing a work for the public domain, we mean adapting an item for every one's use. More than eighty creators have contributed to a rich catalogue of furniture and lighting products originating in very different contexts, by renowned designers such as Antoni Arola, Miguel Milá, André Ricard and llmari Tapiovaara. What a book editor does with stories, we do with objects. Acute and attentive to quality and detail, Santa & Cole outsources all of its industrial production to an extensive network of suppliers, mainly in Spain, but also in other countries such as Japan. Our mission is to build, safeguard and disseminate knowledge through design objects. Objects whose quality is recognisable at the touch of a hand, and that enrich people’s lives, whether at home or in shared environments. Our philosophy is more modern than futurist and we are more intrigued by silence than by stridency. Our focus is not the present market, but the future one; not Barcelona, but the world; not fashion, but history. - SANTA & COLE