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[Designer]

Jin Kuramoto × CondeHouse, SOMES SADDLE / Basket [Story2] Design ideas overflow while touching the materials

The TOKYO CRAFT ROOM project began with three companies: designer Jin Kuramoto of JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO, wooden furniture maker CondeHouse, and leather goods and harness maker SOMES SADDLE. The trust and respect that had already been cultivated for each other led to quick and precise steps that led to the opportunity to present ideas for productization.The three companies gathered in Asahikawa for the first design presentation by Kuramoto.

Face the materials and repeat the experimental approach

The two scraps of wood and leather that Kuramoto selected and ordered from the two companies during his visit were returned to Asahikawa from Tokyo in a new form. They are objects of various colors and shapes, and no two are alike. The large table in the conference room at the CondeHouse headquarters was quickly filled with a large number of prototypes.

“Without deciding what to make, I simply touched the materials with my hands, wetting them, scratching them, turning them inside out, and other ways to give shape to my ideas. I experimented with various ideas, hoping that quantity would lead to quality, and that good accidents would happen, like 50 rather than 10, or 100 rather than 50.” This is the approach that JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO, which Kuramoto presides over, values in its design work.

“I sometimes sketch by hand to get an image, but I want to take advantage of the characteristics of the materials, so basically, I try not to think about things in my head on my own. That is the most important thing in our office. Rather than trying to move the materials, we try to find the form that the materials want to take, and then we try to hold on to the moments when the design can be realized, such as the strength of the structure and the beauty of the balance.”

Part of the wall at JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO. Various inspirations for the project are pasted on the wall to form a huge image board.

All of them are made of wood and leather, but some were objects combining unique shapes, some were animal forms, some were tools, and some were sewn together with leather. The three companies engaged in conversation around this large number of prototypes, touching them with their hands.

Kuramoto said, “I think we came up with something looser than we had envisioned, such as something that looks like an animal.“ It was an idea that not only Kuramoto, but also both CondeHouse and SOMES SADDLE had never imagined. There was a lot of agreement on the direction of the product as an art piece with no function, and the leather covering along the rough wood surface of the scrap was of particular interest to both manufacturers, as it was made from the first part of the wood that would normally be removed. After the initial presentation, Kuramoto noticed a variety of feedback.

“If we look at it differently, I think that scrap conveys more about the beauty of the material. I also felt that as a product, something a little rough might be better suited than something beautiful and perfect. I would like to adjust my work to express the spirituality of natural materials. For example, it would be interesting to create something like iittala’s “Birds by Toikka ”*, which is an object or toy for adults to enjoy. I would also like to continue thinking about how to express “technology” in materials and design, as well as ideas for things to place in the hotel rooms of TOKYO CRAFT ROOM.”

*Finnish artist Oiva Toikka works with iittala craftsmen to create hand-blown glass bird objects. Each piece has its own unique character and is a standard product.

The prototypes received much interest from representatives of both CondeHouse and SOMES SADDLE. Usually, it is the first part to be turned into scraps.

New craft expressed between art and product

Several months have passed since the creation and presentation of the prototype. Kuramoto was updating his ideas, and at the same time, he was entering into a detailed design process. In response to the question of “what to make,” the second presentation focused on the theme of “basket”.

”I propose a basket, which is actually used as a trash can in hotels. The hotel had requested this, but we also had other candidates for storage, such as trays and tissue boxes. But I thought it would be a great idea to have the craftsmanship in the trash at TOKYO CRAFT ROOM,” says Kuramoto.

Initial design of the basket. This design will be brushed up to the final version. Courtesy of JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO 
Option Idea

The design of this basket is simple in form, yet very complex in structure. The cylindrical sides are made of SOMES SADDLE leather, and the rounded bottom is made of CondeHouse wood. These two parts are made up of several different types of parts joined together to form a single piece, a three-dimensional patchwork, so to speak, and the precision of the joining of wood to wood, leather to leather, and wood to leather is also a challenge.

Courtesy of JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO

“There are two main types of research that go into the design process. The first is to research what kind of space TOKYO CRAFT ROOM is, what kind of character it has, and how it is used. And the second is. We also researched what kind of craftsmanship the makers, CondeHouse and SOMES SADDLE, have and what kind of quality they are capable of producing. This includes their spirit of challenge in manufacturing. After conducting this kind of research, we can usually find various pieces of the puzzle, and it becomes a process of how to fit them together. So rather than saying, “I want to make this,” I apply my character to the pieces and situations that emerge, and stitch them all together beautifully in the design. That’s the way I always try to create.

Kuramoto also looks back on the research that led to this design. The process of transforming the scattered ideas into a single form seems to be just like the basket itself, which is made up of various parts.

While the design was steadily being finalized, trial production began to realize the idea. “The first prototype is the most exciting and fun,” says Kuramoto. The two trusted manufacturers are about to begin a high-level trial-and-error process.

Continued to Story3

Jin Kuramoto

Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1976. After working as an in-house designer for a home appliance manufacturer, he opened “JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO” in Meguro, Tokyo in 2008. 

He is involved in design development in a wide range of genres, from furniture, home appliances, eyewear to automobiles, with an approach that conveys the concept and story of the project through clear, sculptural expression. He places emphasis on a practical development process in which he repeatedly experiments with function and structure while touching materials and ingredients directly, and his own “studio”, where prototyping is carried out, is always full of inspiration and discoveries. He has received numerous awards, including the iF Design Award, Good Design Award, and Red Dot Design Award. He was a judge for the Good Design Award from 2015 to 2017. 

http://www.jinkuramoto.com

CondeHouse

Since its establishment in 1968, this wooden furniture brand has been producing beautiful, long-lasting tools for daily life in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, one of Japan’s leading furniture production regions. Working with designers from Japan and abroad, the company is committed to uncompromising product development. The brand’s design and manufacturing techniques are based on the aesthetic sensibilities nurtured by the nature of Hokkaido and Japanese culture, and are being disseminated throughout Japan and the rest of the world.

https://www.condehouse.co.jp/

SOMES SADDLE

SOMES SADDLE is an equestrian and leather goods manufacturer headquartered in Sunagawa City, Hokkaido, Japan, since its establishment in 1964, the company has continued to produce a variety of leather goods, including bags, small leather goods, and interior goods, with a focus on saddle making, which is said to be the ultimate in leather handling techniques. The company’s saddles for horse racing are favored by many JRA jockeys, and it also supplied horse-drawn carriages for the enthronement of the Japanese emperors in Heisei and Reiwa. The company has many loyal customers for its leather goods made by applying harness-making techniques, and it also focuses on after-sales care, such as repairs.

https://www.somes.co.jp

“Mono” Basket

“Mono” Basket

Size:
Φ25 × H33cm

Material:
Wood, cowhide

Price:
ASK