Five Japanese lamps

Inspired by decontextualization, Mitsue Kido designed five lamps with four different Japanese workshops, combining traditional techniques and daily life objects. 

Mitsue Kido – a Chilean architect of Japanese origins – designed a collection of lamps in collaboration with four Japanese artisans, inspired by Mr. Sen no Rikyū who, during the 16th century, introduced a fish basket as a flowerpot in the tea ceremony. 

Mitsue Kido, Matsumata lamp, 2016
Mitsue Kido, Shibori lamp, 2016
Mitsue Kido, Chasen lamp, 2016
Mitsue Kido, Kanaami Kiku lamp, 2016

  This project emulates this decontextualizing act using traditional Japanese objects of daily life use, as lampshades, so to highlight the objects e generate a cultural reflection. While Japanese can recognize these elements playing a new role outsiders see a lampshade made of unknown objects.

Mitsue Kido, Shibori lamp, 2016

The Kanaami KIKU pendant lamp and the Origami lamp reinterpret the traditional Kanaami technique made by wire weaving for kitchen and tableware, while the Matsumata lamp uses Japanese cypress woodwork, joining together three pieces (the meaning of matsumata) without using glue. The Chasen holder lamp is made in bamboo featuring Urishi ­– or Japanese lacquer – and the Chasen, a tea whisk modified in its proportions. The Shibori lamp features the Furoshiki, the Japanese custom of wrapping objects with fabric, is very common in everyday life to move things and create the effect of surprise.

Mitsue Kido, Kanaami origami lamp, 2016


Decontextualizing into a lamp
Design:
Mitsue Kido
Artisans: Mr.Yasuhiro Tsuji (Tsujiwa-kanaami workshop), Mr. Mori (Washitaka workshop), Mr. Ishigami (Takano chikko workshop), Mr Yoshioka (Shibori museum)
Year: 2016