ryosuke harashima repurposes 1960s electric fans as eccentric tables from the future

ryosuke harashima presents ‘Do Androids Dream of…’

Ryosuke Harashima reimagines Japanese home appliances made in the 1960s as eccentric furniture objects from a dystopian future. In an era of continual and overwhelming material possessions, the STILLIFE series offers fresh perspectives on the past by transforming used electric stand fans into futuristic artifacts. For the series’ new ‘Do Androids Dream of…’ collection, the designer draws on the high-growth energy of Japan’s period of industrial prosperity to craft a set of tables from stainless steel. Infused in each piece is the essence of a gendered android — including a ‘masculine’ high table that recalls a human restrained in a frame, and a console table that evokes the image of a feminine android gently lying on the copper frame.

stillife imagines furniture as beings from a dystopian future

STILLIFE takes on used objects which are too new to be called antique, and too old to be called modern to create whimsical tables that sit as functional sculptures. Using these tools, Ryosuke Harashima uncovers the beauty of conscious industrial design and its emphasis on detail. Unlike the sleek, minimalistic designs of typical contemporary home appliances, the designer seeks to infuse ruggedness into his pieces, allowing for a distinct sense of individuality.

When confronted with two discarded TOSHIBA electric fans, Harashima was inspired by their resemblance to androids — non-human entities with a lifelike presence. By viewing these household appliances from the perspective of future beings, in a world where ‘mankind has died out’, the designer envisions a surreal world where they may be revered as ancestors to the android creations. In this vision, these two fans then become the metaphorical Adam and Eve, symbolizing the genesis of a new civilization.

The title of the work, ‘Do Androids Dream of…’ derives from the original novel of the Blade Runner film, titled ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ ‘I thought that the dystopian scenes depicted in the film and the worldview that evokes a sense of human melancholy would have something in common with the work. I envisioned two fans dreaming as thinking tools (or androids),’ notes Harashima.

project info:

name: STILLIFE
designer: Ryosuke Harashima

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