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Koncord Stool by Karim Rashid

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 20, 2009

After the ubiquitous Bombo barstool over took every New Zealand home, I was seriously turned off by barstools in general, particularly plastic ones. It's great then to see that Karim Rashid can attract my attention again to the ever handy barstool without drawing the same design references we are so tired of. The Koncord stool, manufactured by Slide, has Rashid's trademark colourful and slightly futuristic touch.

Cosmic Leaf by Ross Lovegrove for Artemide

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 20, 2009

British designer Ross Lovegrove's organically shaped Cosmic Leaf Light allows light to shine through a perforated metal casing. Artemide is available locally here.

Tuyomyo by Frank Gehry for Emeco

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 20, 2009

Frank Gehry has created a one off piece for aluminium company Emeco to be exhibited at the Milan Salone. Clearly reminiscent of one of the great architects many buildings, the bench is to be auctioned off for charity after the Fair, no doubt attracting huge interest from Gehry fans wanting a piece of the masters work.

The Vegetal Chair for Vitra

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 20, 2009

In theory the Bouroullec brothers released the Vegetal chair for Vitra late in 2008. But for many, including us, the Milan Salone will be their first look. Stackable and suitable for both indoors and out, the Vegetal chair is pretty clear about it's influences. Being manufactured by Vitra is a definite shortcut to icon status. Vitra is available locally here.

Industrial Landscapes by Josef Schulz

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 20, 2009

German photographer Josef Schulz makes the austere and industrial into beautiful works of photographic art. With a passion for images that depict long forgotten and rarely admired landscapes, Schulz has a talent for making these everyday scenes into one of wonder. Check out more of his portfolio here.

Shigeru Ban for Artek

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 20, 2009

Composed from recycled plastic and paper, Shigeru Ban's new furniture system for Artek is a perfect proposal for the minimal and sustainably conscious Finnish company. Ban, a Japanese architect, has created a modular system using L-shaped modules that can be joined together to create all manor of pieces.

The inspiring work of Ryuji Nakamura

Claire Sullivan - Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Japanese architect Ryuji Nakamura creates the most beautiful visions in white. The above installation titled Blossom is a series of stainless steel petals attached to the walls of a private dining room at a wedding venue in Japan. Simply divine.

The architect describes the Kuma Teddy Bear's purpose is to heal. One would imagine that creating this piece by hand using paper would require some healing of the mind once completed.

Both of the above chairs are also made from paper. I can't tell you if you can actually sit on either of these, but who cares they are so beautiful it doesn't matter.

The Aurora was designed as a private vip room within Japanese restaurant Matsumoto Nagano. For this installation Nakamura uses fabric draping techniques to create the effect of honeycomb on the ceiling. I adore all of the work by this young and talented architect. To learn more visit his website at www.ryujinakamura.com

EggO House by A69 Architects

Claire Sullivan - Tuesday, April 14, 2009

This recently completed house located in Prague is not what you expect to find in such a historical city. Designed around an enclosed central courtyard the home offers the owners complete privacy from the surrounding neighbourhood. Despite the buildings contemporary nature the architects have succeeded in producing a dwelling that fits subtly into the landscape. www.a69.cz

Photography by Shinichi Maruyama

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 13, 2009

Ok so it's getting pretty obvious that I am obsessed with the Japanese aesthetic. I am continually impressed by the work that Japanese artists and designers create. Their simplicity of form is something that immediately appeals to me. I am also a huge fan of photography as an art form, so it's no surprise that when I came across New York based photographer Shinichi Maruyama I was blown away. Maruyama draws inspiration from his youth when he often wrote Chinese characters using sumi ink. Once the brush touches the paper the character must be finished in one stroke, there is only one chance to get it right. Using similar brush stroke techniques Maruyama hurls black India ink into water and photographs the millisecond that these two liquids collide. Capable of capturing this phenomenon at a 7,500th of a second, Maruyama takes full advantage of a recent advancement in strobe light technology which can record physical events faster than the naked eye can perceive them. In the above series Kusho, which means “writing in the sky,” Maruyama’s goal is to arrest in space and time the sublime intersection of two different media before they merge into one. Simply stunning.

See more of ShinichiMaruyama's work here.

Martin the Mule

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 13, 2009

Martin The Mule is a new workstation concept from French design studio i-bride. One of my favourite adjectives seems more appropriate here - Moose, which I tend to use when describing something a oppressive . In saying that however I can imagine that Martin could find himself welcome lodgings in a children's room. Martin's design allows for storage of books and papers on the various shelves on his body, while the reins are actually cunningly disguised wires and cables.

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