Author Archives: Midori Tanaka
George Takei, Social Media Maven
You may know him as Lieutenant Sulu from the original Star Trek, but lately George Takei is making news with his social media savvy. With more than 1.8 million fans on Facebook alone he’s taking over the Internet.
Whether it’s his humour or social activism that draws you in, his place in your newsfeed is sure to brighten your day. Here’s but a small sampling of all things Takei:
George, with his husband Brad, was recently in Toronto to receive an honour from the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre at the Sakura Ball for his activism work. At 75 George is busy with advocacy, focusing both on the fight for Gay rights and strengthening Japanese-American relations following his personal story of internment during the Second World War.
image via Legit Print
He’s parlayed this dark and under-explored time in history into a new musical entitled Allegiance. Allegiance follows the Omura family from their home in California to the Heart Mountain internment camp in Wyoming. The family’s conflict with their experience of the war and internment reflects the broader conflict felt by the country as a whole. Allegiance opens at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego September 19, 2012 and then hopes to move to Broadway. You can learn more about it here, including how to lend your support.
There is something about George’s unpretentious sophistication, his humility and humour that attracts folks (that and the whole Sulu thing). But it’s his social conscious and commitment to equality that makes more than 1.8 millions people think a little harder on Facebook.
All images via George Takei’s Facebook page unless otherwise noted.
The History of the Step Chest
When they first encountered the step chest, or Kaiden Dansu, in the 19th century it was love at first sight for travelers from the West. It’s such an iconic piece of Japanese furniture, with an instantly recognizable shape. Their asymmetry; the many drawers and sliding doors; the intricate Japanese joinery techniques that ensure they’re built to last: Step chests strike a perfect balance between art and design, form and function.
Image via Pinterest from Picasaweb
These beautiful solid wood pieces first appeared during the late 1700s custom built by the local carpenter for stores and loft spaces in Japan. They were built to serve the practical purpose of acting as both staircase and storage. These step chests are constructed in three parts that can be arranged in various configurations.
Historically, building step chests in multiple parts served a couple of key purposes: it allowed the pieces to be easily transported, carried on shoulder poles, from one place to another (tansu were generally considered fancy storage boxes); but it also allowed the furniture to be reconfigured depending on a space’s needs.
Greentea Design’s 3D Step Chest Guide
And the need, from time to time, was to screw the taxman. Space has always been a hot commodity in Japan. And as the story goes, these step chests would function as staircases to the upper level of a loft, where you’d find a family’s living space. The government at the time taxed owners on their livable floor space only, so when the tax inspector came around, the step chests would be reconfigured – poof! The staircase was gone! – and the owner would claim the loft above was soley used for storage – with no permanent access to the space – and therefore untaxable. This worked for a while until, predictably, that loophole was closed.
Today, using traditional building techniques, Greentea Design has a range of step chests that fit beautifully in modern spaces. With two-sided design, they function as room dividers and offer loads of storage that can be customized to your needs. These are heirloom quality pieces, the unique focal point of any room, that imbue a space with a little culture and a little history.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Image from Jiro Dreams of Sushi, courtesy Magnolia Pictures
I can’t quite put my finger on when – it was more than a decade ago now – but, Toronto became obsessed with sushi. There are three places within 10 minutes walk from my home and that’s light compared to the sushi to population density ratio downtown.
Image via Omi Sushi
There are lots of budget sushi takeaways (great in their own rite) but these are balanced by a few really wonderful spots, Nami and Omi to name a couple. Places that treat sushi like an art.
Image via Omi Sushi
But if it’s the best sushi in the world that you seek, it’s not surprising that you’ll need to travel east to Japan. Once there however, you might be shocked to learn the world’s best sushi is served up in a humble ten seat place located in a Tokyo subway station.
Image from Jiro Dreams of Sushi, courtesy Magnolia Pictures
Sukiyabashi Jiro, is the first sushi-only restaurant to ever receive 3 Michelin stars, it’s chef and proprietor, Jiro Ono, is considered the world’s best.
Image from Jiro Dreams of Sushi, courtesy Magnolia Pictures
At 85 Jiro loathes holidays, or any reason that would keep him from his sushi bar. And Jiro, who has been practising his art for most of his life, isn’t done evolving. He runs his little restaurant from sun-up to well into the night, with his eldest son, Yoshikazu, by his side. His son will one day be responsible for continuing Jiro’s legacy. Indeed it’s this relationship between father and son, along with a mediation on the quest to perfect an art, that has formed the basis of a new documentary film called Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
The film also asks if it’s true that doing what you love means never working a day, or whether you just work that much harder, with tolls on other facets of life. The film is, as Anthony Bourdain reviews, “Thrilling and beautiful”, perfect for foodies and anyone else for that matter.
The film is currently playing here in Toronto at TIFF Lightbox and then makes the circuit through our city’s rep cinemas. If you’re in the US, here’s the film’s list of local showtimes.
Slick as Can Be: Lacquerware Then and Now
Urushi Bamboo Spoons by Mori Kowa from Ashes and Milk
The technique of lacquer can be traced back to as early as the Neolithic period in China and the Jomon period in Japan. Practices for lacquer vary from region to region and country to country; the traditional Japanese technique of Urushi, for example, uses the sap of a lacquer tree which is handpainted in thin layers using a paint brush made of women’s hair. In many instances powdered gold was added to create intricate designs.
lacquer tree image via UniProt
Housewares, furniture, jewellery and even armor were popular lacquered objects in Japan, and there are still people practicing this ancient art in inventive and inspiring ways. Let’s take a look at some examples of lacquerware, both old and new.
Japanese Lacquer Tea Set image courtesy of Greentea Design
The Japanese tea set pictured above is an excellent example of the sorts of household objects that were often lacquered. This set exhibits the traditional colours of black, red, and gold as well as a traditional vine motif.
19th Century Japanese Combs from the Victoria and Albert Museum
How lovely are these Japanese combs? Such beautiful colours and impeccable workmanship. The delicate paintings on these combs show the level of artistic skill that the masters of lacquerware were capable of. These particular combs are part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection.
Classicon Brick Screen by Eileen Gray via Private
The Brick Screen by Eileen Gray is an example of how the art of lacquerware has been adopted outside of Asia. Gray designed the Brick screen from 1922-1925 after learning the art of lacquer from a Japanese artisan, and this work is still an iconic piece of art deco design.
Urushi box by Kuroda Tatsuaki via architonic
Kuroda Tatsuaki’s magnificent red Urushi box is a textural and visual masterpiece. The flowing lines of this piece are accentuated by the way light is reflected off the lacquer surface.
Lacquered Paper Objects by nendo
These lacquered boxes by nendo show how the old and new can be blended. The small boxes are made out of paper using a 3D printer and then hand finished with lacquer. The rolled paper and thin layers of lacquer almost give the impression of wood grain.
And finally, this stunning dining room is of course not lacquered in the traditional sense, but the high gloss of the walls and the black and gold tones throughout the space give the impression of Japanese lacquerware, don’t you think?
Happy Friday Everyone!
SOFA New York
This Friday in New York City’s Park Avenue Armory, SOFA New York opens its doors to visitors who will be challenged to put aside conventional thinking to answer, “what is art?” SOFA, for Sculptural Objects and Found Art, is an art fair featuring contemporary works, lectures, and seminars from some of the word’s leading artists, designers and curators. SOFA bridges the worlds of design, decorative and fine arts and is always an inspired and dazzling collection from both new and emerging talent. If you’re in NYC this weekend, it’s absolutely worth stopping in.
The Divan By Victor Klassen
We’re excited to report that friend of Greentea Design, Victor Klassen will be showcasing his sculptural furniture at SOFA New York. Victor’s imaginative designs and innovative woodworking techniques combine to create functional art like the divan above.
Fujinuma Noburu’s Spring Light constructed of bamboo and rattan
He’ll be there alongside other innovative ceramisists, furniture designers, jewelry, and textile artists whose unique perspective imbues each artists’ technique, their work and finally your relationship with the finished product.
Lola Brooks’ Neckpiece. Stop by Lola’s booth 109 in the Sienna Gallery to hear her speak about her newest body of work on Saturday at 4pm.
Phillipp Aduatz’ Feuteuil II . Aduatz is joined by Vivian Beer, both of the Wexler Gallery in Philadelphia, to give a lecture on how functional objects exist between and within the worlds of design, craft and sculpture Saturday from 4-5pm.
Preston Singletary’s Loon Travelling constructed from blown and hand-carved glass.
Japanese artist Shozo Michikawa’s Square Form. Shozo gives a talk entitled Haiku in Clay on Saturday from 2:30-3:30.
There is an added dimension – something that’s at once ethereal and sensual – to our interactions with functional art pieces like these. It’s an element that separates and elevates this art fair from regular design or home shows and even gallery exhibitions. Don’t miss this chance to see work from around the globe and gain insight from the makers themselves.
SOFA New York runs April 20-23, 2012
Park Avenue Armory
Park Avenue at 67th
