“This collection of wooden cabinets was driven by our curiosity for Japanese craftsmanship and a deep friendship with Meetee’s art director Jin Kuramoto. We started this very special collaboration with Meetee in the summer of 2016 during a camping trip on the Izu Islands.”
In Japan, paulownia is a type of wood also known as the “princess tree”. It was once customary to plant a paulownia when a baby girl was born, so that it could later be crafted into a dresser as a wedding present when she married.
Paulownia continues to be used for traditional kimono storage furniture due to its humidity balancing features, its ultra-lightness and stability.
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“The textile hinges were inspired by a traditional urushi lacquering technique, which I discovered during my visit. It involves the use of woven textiles as a base for the lacquer.”
“While visiting Meetee’s workshop in Japan, I focused instinctively on the differences between European craftsmanship, as I knew from my father’s workshop, and Japanese craftsmanship.”
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KIRI cabinets for MEETEE
2017
Kollektion von Schränken – Paulownienholz und Textilscharnbiere
Kiri interpretiert auf zeitgenössische Art die traditionellen Kimono Schränke, die Stefan während seines Besuches in Hiroshima im Sommer 2016 entdeckte. Das traditionell für diese Schränke verwendete Paulownienholz ist ein tropisches Holz, welches auf Grund seiner atmungsaktiven Eigentschaften eingesetzt wird, um die Kleidung vor Gerüchen und Feuchtigkeit zu schützen. Die geringe Dichte des Holzes eignet sich nicht für die Verarbeitung mit Schrauben, jedoch ermöglichte uns das geringe Gewicht mit Textilscharnieren bei großformatigen Möbeln zu experimentieren. Die Türen falten sich in der Horizontale und halten mittels Textilscharnieren und Holzspannung in jeder Position. Die geradlinige Konstruktion verleiht jedem Teil der Kollektion eine geradezu architektonische Präsenz.
Kiri is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional kimono cabinets that Stefan discovered during his visit to Hiroshima in the summer of 2016. Traditionally, those cabinets are made from paulownia, a tropical wood used for its breathable properties to prevent smells and humidity on clothes. The low density of this wood doesn’t make it suitable for mechanical assembly, but its light weight gave us the chance to experiment with fabric hinges on large-scale furniture. The doors fold horizontally in an intuitive gesture and with the friction of the wood, the door holds in any position. Each piece of the collection takes place in a specific context of the domestic landscape. Their straight construction gives them a very architectural presence.
Together with Arthur Desmet
