Bringing balance home.
All the creations within the collection WOKUZAI are meant to embody one or many of the concepts that fascinate me: balance, harmony in complementarity, and minimalism. I translated them into objects that evoke these principles.... And WOKUZAI was born.
My intention is that these creations help in creating a peaceful and harmonious environment at home, which participates in creating a peaceful and harmonious inner Life. They act as nudges towards the ideals that they incarnate: (inner) balance, harmony in complementarity, and simplicity.
Balance
Several pieces of the collection evoke the concept of balance.
Some, suspended in the air, can move from a gentle wind, but do not fall.
Others, similar to the Culbuto toy of our childhood, have the ability to wobble around its base but always returns to center.
Looking at them reminds us that despite the twists and turns of life, we can always come back to our inner center.
Harmony in Complementarity
In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin and yang is used to describe how opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world; and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.
This concept can be seen in many of WOKUZAI's designs which feature both light and dark colors, hard and soft lines, light and shadow.
The creations are bringing together seemingly opposite forces, just as we have to accept different and opposite part of ourselves to live in harmony.
Simplicity
I also appreciate the aesthetic of minimalism. I think that we often try to complicate things when they don't need to be complicated. We add unnecessary details and make things more difficult than they need to be. I
I go for simplicity in my creations so that people can enjoy the beauty of the natural elements, rather than gettingan overload of small details.
WOKUZAI objects act as a soft nudge to focus on the essential.
Creation & Sustainability
I am interested in the new creative avenues that 3D printing offers. On the one hand, because this technology allows for the use of new materials, both aesthetically pleasing and ecologically responsible. On the other hand, because it allows the creation of new shapes with unparalleled lightness and solidity. And all of this comes on top of being a zero-waste production method because there is no waste of material during printing and each piece is produced on demand.
This technology allows for the production of complex shapes in virtually any material imaginable, from plastic to metal, making it possible to create products that would otherwise be impossible or prohibitively expensive to manufacture. It also makes it easier to explore new ideas by testing them quickly, from mind to 3D reality in a few hours (ideally).
For the WOKUZAI collection of objects, the material I used is a mixture of wood and corn, and this material interests me of course for its aesthetic aspect: its finely grained texture, the way the deep matte black seems to absorb all the light in a room and the sandy version softens it,... But, in addition to its visual interest, and because like everyone of us, I care about our impact on our environment: I do not want my creation to be at the expense of the planet!
