Search

Art

The Noguchi-Inspired Shou Sugi Ban Collection of Bowls

09.15.22 | By
The Noguchi-Inspired Shou Sugi Ban Collection of Bowls

When creating their Shou Sugi Ban Collection, A Space found a lot of inspiration in the work of sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Particularly in “The Sculptor and the Ashtray,” a project that explored two opposite concepts. The first was hand-crafted and made up of nine plaster models – that inspired this collection. The second design was to be mass-produced, but proved too complex for production. In the end neither was fully realized, and Noguchi’s wish to create “cheaply by the million” never came to fruition.

A Space’s Shou Sugi Ban Collection is made up of nine sculptural wooden bowls, each in an edition of ten. The bowls are traditionally made using recycled Lebanese cedar, and hand-carved by a craftsman. Further inspiration from Noguchi is evident in the use of positive and negative space. The fragrant cedar wood is dried naturally, making each bowl sustainable, before being charred and blackened with the Japanese shou sugi technique. Afterward, the bowls are polished, sanded, and coated in natural lacquer. The Shou Sugi Ban Collection is a testament to quality materials, form, and the function of everyday objects.

pencil sketches on paper

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 1

two styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowls

no. 1 + no. 6

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 2

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 3

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 3

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 4

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 4

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 4

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 5

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 5

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 6

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 6

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 7

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 7

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 7

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 8

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 9

styled black hand-carved solid cedar wood bowl

no. 9

portrait of two women next to each other looking at the camera

ASPACE, Anna Aris-tova + Roza Gazarian

To learn more about the Shou Sugi Ban Collection, visit aspacestudio.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.