Tokujin Yoshioka

Lately, Yoshioka is being recognized for “Second Nature,” an art/design installation exhibited at 21 21 Design Sight in Tokyo whose signature piece is a chair formed by directing the deposition of natural crystals. But it is another one of his singular achievements of the past year that has come to my attention. It’s a shame that it has gone relatively un-noticed, because the graceful simplicity and alluring geometry of Kartell‘s Ami Ami Chair has mass appeal. Modeled after the time-honored technique of woven reed or “wicker,” Ami Ami offers an impressive fusion of materials science and hand-craftsmanship. The chair is constituted of interlocking bands of transparent polycarbonate, inextricably intertwined in the elegant over-under pattern typical of traditional Japanese Ami Ami (the word translates as “weaving”). The alliance between manufacturer Kartell (see also the Honeycomb Chair) and Yoshioka is a fortuitous one. With antecedents in materials science and technology-”discovering unprecedented qualities in plastics in terms of performance and aesthetics: satin finish, transparency, flexibility, resistance, softness, texturizing, color…”-Italian-based Kartell is the ideal firm to realize Yoshioka’s vision: that of merging the old with the new, of paying homage to a revered cultural practice while updating its execution to create a functional, futuristic, and innovative chair.

Yoshioka’s Ami Ami retains the best qualities of traditional woven reed: the chair is durable and weather-resistant; its interlocking weave creates excellent tensile strength, yet allows for heat dissipation and thus a longer-lived product. But the look of Ami Ami really tells us all we need to know: sleek and strong yet lithe and light, elegantly arched but with a touch of classical restraint, Yoshioka’s handsome indoor/outdoor chair looks to the future while embracing the best of the past.

via Fulcrum Magazine