One of the most influential creatives living in the world today, Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka has transformed the way we experience the world around us. From the stylistic preciousness of the Invisibles to the delicately luminous ToFU Lamp, his work blurs the boundaries between furniture, objects and installations.
Yoshioka’s invaluable impact on the design world prompted Maison&Objet, an international event for architecture and design, to honor him with the NOW! Design à Vivre 2012 Creator of the Year award. From January 20 to January 24, 2012, his work graces the event with the Crystalized Project, a visionary collection of crystal objects which investigate the mutual dependency that exists between human memories and natural phenomena.
Using this concept as his creative inspiration, Yoshioka’s Crystalized Project seeks to create a new portrait of nature, which affects the imagination of the viewer. The pieces adopt the randomness and unexpectedness of the natural world and express a level of beauty that surpasses human imagination.
The Crystalized Project began in 2007 with the Venus chair, developed using a production process like no other. To form this piece, a substrate made of polyester elastomer forms the skeleton of the chair, which is then submerged in a tank. Music plays, and through its vibrations, crystals grow. Crystalized paintings and a selection of never-before-seen works created with the same enchanting process join the Venus chair at Maison&Objet, inspiring dreams and urging us to rethink the nature of the objects that surround us. The Crystal pieces are a result of the laws of nature and unpredictable beauty, fueling possibilities for further creation.
Like the Honey-Pop chair, presented at Luminaire during Art Basel 2004, the Crystalized Project transcends corporeal limitations. Luminaire is honored to have personally collaborated with Yoshioka on various events and exhibitions, including all three editions of our philanthropic Love series. Click here to visit our collection of his work available in our showrooms and in our online store.
January 2012
