Japanese architects and designers have been on the quest of formulating their own identity since the devastation of World War II. It was architects like Kenzo Tange and Maekawa Kunio, who first showed affinity to the Le Corbusier School of design. We here are no strangers to the works of Japanese designers as be it Kuramata or Hashimoto, all have been immortalized in the web pages of  3rings!

Venus Natural Crystal Chair. Designed by Tokujin Yoshioka.

As an admirer of the postmodernist A&D scene in Japan, it was impossible not to be enamored by the experimental surrealism of the Venus Natural Crystal Chair. Those familiar with industrial designer Tokujin Yoshioka will agree that his works are  quintessentially "Japanese" as they are characterized by an elegiac minimalism regardless of the material used or process utilized. Take for instance the Venus Natural Crystal Chair, which has been constructed from "natural crystals.” What makes the chair unique is not just the design but also the actual design process as the crystals have been created by Yoshioka in a water tank. What's incredible is how that chair was made in the tank itself by some carefully maneuvering.

The Venus Natural Crystal Chair will be the central piece at the Second Nature exhibition at  21_21 design sight, Tokyo, Japan. The exhibition will run till January 18, 2009 and will also feature another 3rings favourite, the Campana Brothers . All exhibits in "Second Nature" hope to "convey the mysterious power of nature and life" and also highlight new natural forms.

Says Yoshioka:"Nature shows us a beauty that exceeds our imagination. On the other hand, it contains a strength that is sometimes frightening. The forms of nature are unique and cannot be reproduced. This endows them with mysterious beauty and makes them fascinating to us."

Personally I love the contradiction that the Venus Natural Crystal Chair brings to surface. On one hand, the chair is heavily structured, and on the other, the design process is running in contrast to any rigid building technique. The free-spirited duality in the chair is palpable and the latent aggression shown to conventional structures quite commendable.