‘mimiwa’ is a custom-made, kanji-shaped earrings series made with japanese lacquer
during the lacquering process, unique, organic patterns occur by pure chance - the same design doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.
design studio crafti.tokyo has introduced ‘mimiwa’, an artistic jewelry series inspired by kanji, as well as the work of japanese calligraphy and craftsmanship. as japanese natives living abroad, the designers frequently encounter comments remarking the unique shape and use of the logographic characters, which encouraged them to create a project sharing their language and culture.
all images courtesy of crafti.tokyo
the objective of ‘mimiwa’ by crafti.tokyo is to encourage the viewer to reconsider art forms that can be seen around them in their everyday lives. up to 2136 kanji characters are used in the japanese language daily, with each symbol having its own distinct meaning. meanwhile, the combination of certain characters can produce new terms.
侘寂 – wabisabi meaning of wabi-sabi the concept of aesthetics in japan
it is a long-held japanese belief that words contain a spiritual power. each kanji contains formidable strength; a simple phrase can cause feelings and emotions such as happiness, hurt, anger, understanding, or sadness. due to this, the designers aim to create personalized art pieces with special meanings for each individual who purchases them. the earrings can use names, favourite sayings or anything that has symbolic meaning to the person. ‘we believe words change lives‘ crafti.tokyo shares.
風月-fugetu meaning of fu-getu beauty of nature
無常-mujou meaning of mu-jyo nothing lasts forever
the used lacquer is a natural varnish made from tree sap – also known as ‘japan’ in english, this material is said to be the origin of japanese handicrafts
‘tsugaru’ lacquer: a traditional technique used in aomori prefecture – the application consists of a process of layering, drying and polishing
functional but beautiful, lacquerware is water and corrosion-resistant and with time, it takes on a vivid colour
during the lacquering process, beautiful, organic patterns can occur by pure chance – the same design doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world
mimiwa kanji earrings are painstakingly machine-carved from lacquered metal – committed to a uniqueness that mass-production cannot give
project info:
name: mimiwa 耳輪
designer: crafti.tokyo
size: apro. W30×L30×T1 (mm)
material: brass, 10k gold earrings
designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
