ÅBEN Journal 006 — SHIBUI 渋い
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I was commissioned to create all the written content for Issue 006 of ÅBEN’s quarterly Journal (released in January 2021), as well as its thematic concept; Shibui. The Journal is a celebration of craft and artistry which profiles individuals that are making the world a better place through thoughtful, enduring design.
Issue 006 — The Japan Issue – explores an appreciation for the utilitarian, as shared by the Nordics and the land of the rising sun. Discover a culture of everyday design, trace the ever-evolving silhouette of streetwear, learn about upcycled marine plastic and seasonal influence, see Tokyo’s forgotten walls, and consider how working from home has changed our relationship to sound.
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The bridge from Japan to the Nordics is built on an appreciation for what might be called design but isn’t considered design — an enthusiasm for the everyday. While both regions embrace natural materials and their minimalist treatment, it’s a passion for subtle detailing, purposefulness and the culture of everyday design that sets them apart from others.
Our sixth issue celebrates the unobtrusive beauty of ‘Shibui’ (渋い) — something that appears effortless but merges simplicity and complexity; nature and day-to-day living; an object that elicits enrichment as time passes. Through Cathy Buckmaster’s words, we explore what it is about the quotidian that connects the creatives of Japan with those of the Nordics.
INTERVIEWS INCLUDE:
Studio Kaksikko [Helsinki-based design studio]
[excerpt]
Salla Luhtasela is softly spoken and smiles often, gathering her thoughts to find the right words. With the mild lilt of someone who left the US long ago, Wesley Walters lets his thoughts meander — often taking you somewhere else entirely but ultimately leaving you with a deeper understanding than you imagined possible.
Together they make up Studio Kaksikko (kaksi meaning ‘duo’ in Finnish). The Helsinki-based designers specialise in wooden furniture and ceramic tableware, sharing an appetite for understated, functional design that highlights the virtues of a material.
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Tadatomo Oshima [Director of IDÉE]
[excerpt]
Is there a relationship between a culture’s climate and its aptitude for beautiful design? Tadatomo Oshima — Director of IDÉE and authority on all things Nordic design in Japan — thinks so. “I think there are many very elegant lamps by designers in countries with long winters.”
He himself predominantly selects 1950s Finnish furniture for his own home: “Alvar Aalto, Tapio Wirkala and for lamps, designers such as Paavo Tynell. I particularly like brass for lamps — like the way bamboo’s colour varies over time, I think brass is a material that you feel more attachment to the more it changes.”
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Thomas Sailer [VP & Marketing Director at adidas Japan]
[excerpt]
My day is just beginning when I speak to Thomas Sailer, but it’s 5pm in Tokyo. The large window behind him overlooks the city, which is gradually lighting up under a dusky, cobalt sky. Thomas is sitting in adidas Japan HQ in the centre of buzzing Roppongi; he points out the looming Tokyo Tower, which seems so close he could lean out and touch it.
Originally from a small town near Stuttgart, Thomas spent 16 years working for adidas in Herzogenaurach before moving to Japan for his current role. When asked what inspires 22 years of faithful service to one brand, he has endless thoughts.
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Yuri Suzuki [Pentagram Partner and Sound Artist & Designer]
[excerpt]
As coronavirus swept the world in 2020, workers decamped to their kitchen tables. This universal displacement of staff and subsequent culture of working from home defined a new normal — but with it came a new awareness of sound. No longer was your colleague’s breathing muffled by the water cooler, nor the constant updates from your computer inaudible under the din of office chatter.
“With the pandemic, people were spending more time in their domestic environments, thinking about acoustics and noticing everyday sounds much more. They became fed up with notification sounds — like for Slack. These things are easily noticeable and when you hear it 100 times a day, it gets tiring. At Pentagram, we do quite a lot of investigative work to see how sound can change our everyday environment.”
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Masafumi ‘Bebe’ Watanabe [Founder of Bedwin & the Heartbreakers]
[excerpt]
Masafumi ‘Bebe’ Watanabe is the Founder and Director of BEDWIN & THE HEARTBREAKERS and an aficionado when it comes to Tokyo’s extraordinary fashion and streetwear scene. “After World War II, Japanese people lost a lot of the culture that we’d thrived in and appreciated. In order to get back in touch with it and ourselves, we had to work hard to figure out what we liked and enjoyed.”
“Before the Internet, Japan was very isolated so we imitated other cultures with an interpretation that adapted to our lifestyle — this created an enjoyable twist. And we discovered that sub-cultures had the power to change our lives for the better, so Japanese designers and crafts have been growing ever since.”
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Maki Shinohara [Photographer @minimalism_tokyo]
[excerpt]
When I saw a beautiful wall that looked perfectly matched with the world, I thought that if I didn’t take a picture, it might be forgotten as time went by. And if it wasn’t a popular place, then maybe no one would realise the beauty. It was these thoughts that drew me to photography — although I worried it wouldn’t be special to anyone besides me.”
Maki Shinohara is an avid observer of all things minimal on the streets of Tokyo. Walls are the predominant canvas for her photos, which capture pastel tiles in geometric patterns, the play of light and shadow; commonplace objects like traffic cones or bags of rubbish offer pops of colour in still life scenes.
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