Backstage with
Artist / Designer
AYAKO ARATANI
TODAY, WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING WITH AYAKO ARATANI, A DISTINGUISHED FURNITURE DESIGNER AND SCULPTOR WHOSE WORK BRIDGES THE RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF JAPAN WITH THE INNOVATIVE SPIRIT OF DETROIT. BORN AND RAISED IN JAPAN, AYAKO HONED HER CRAFT AT CHIBA UNIVERSITY AND FURTHERED HER EXPERTISE AT THE PRESTIGIOUS CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART, WHERE SHE EARNED HER MASTER’S DEGREE IN 3D DESIGN. SINCE ESTABLISHING HER STUDIO PRACTICE IN PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, IN 2016, SHE HAS GARNERED WIDESPREAD ACCLAIM, EARNING NUMEROUS AWARDS INCLUDING THE IF DESIGN AWARD AND THE MUJI INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD BRONZE PRIZE. HER WORK HAS CAPTIVATED AUDIENCES ACROSS THE GLOBE, BEING FEATURED IN PROMINENT EXHIBITIONS FROM NEW YORK TO MILAN, AND IN LEADING DESIGN PUBLICATIONS LIKE DEZEEN AND ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST. WE’RE THRILLED TO DIVE INTO HER CREATIVE JOURNEY AND EXPLORE WHAT DRIVES HER EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTRY.
CAN YOU SHARE YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY AND HOW YOU DISCOVERED YOUR PASSION FOR ART /DESIGN? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE THIS PATH?
WHEN I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN JAPAN, CELL PHONES WERE BECOMING POPULAR, AND WE OFTEN TALKED ABOUT THE DESIGNS AND FUNCTIONS OF EACH PHONE. I FOUND MYSELF PAYING ATTENTION TO DETAILS OF FORMS AND COLORS AND DECIDED TO STUDY PRODUCT DESIGN AT A LOCAL COLLEGE.
AFTER GRADUATING, I STARTED WORKING AS A PRODUCT DESIGNER AT A CONTRACT FURNITURE COMPANY IN TOKYO. DURING MARKET RESEARCH, I SAW MANY BEAUTIFUL AND ELEGANT CHAIRS FROM OUTSIDE JAPAN AND STARTED FEELING A DESIRE TO DESIGN MORE ARTFUL AND ICONIC FURNITURE. THIS LED ME TO JOIN THE 3-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN DEPARTMENT AT CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART IN THE USA.
MY TIME AT CRANBROOK ALLOWED ME TO EXPLORE WHO I AM AND WHAT I WANT TO CREATE. I QUESTIONED THE MEANING OF BEING A PRODUCT DESIGNER IN THE CONSUMER MARKET AND THOUGHT THAT PRODUCT DESIGNERS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN PROPOSING MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES. FROM THAT TIME, I FOUND THE MEANING OF CREATING UNIQUE FURNITURE PIECES BY HAND AS AN EXPRESSION OF MY BELIEFS.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ARTISTIC OR DESIGN STYLE, AND WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE OR DISTINCT FROM OTHERS IN YOUR FIELD?
MY DESIGN STYLE EMPHASIZES A HANDS-ON PROCESS, DELIVERING WARMTH AND COMFORT. MY DESIGNS ARE OFTEN SCULPTURAL AND IMAGINATIVE.
“MY DESIGNS ARE OFTEN SCULPTURAL AND IMAGINATIVE”
CAN YOU PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS OR ARTWORKS YOU PARTICULARLY ADMIRE? WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE WHILE WORKING ON THEM, AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
THE GHOST GARDEN SERIES IS A PIECE I ALWAYS STRUGGLE WITH AND ENJOY AS I FIND THE FORM AND PROPORTION. I EXPLORE THREE-DIMENSIONAL BALANCE IN THE SPACE BETWEEN EACH BRANCH WHILE CREATING MOVEMENTS TO EXPRESS THE POWER AND GROWTH OF NATURE, ALSO ENSURING THE FUNCTION OF A TABLE.
“MY INSPIRATION COMES FROM DIFFERENT PLACES EACH TIME”
WHAT ROLE DOES RESEARCH PLAY IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? HOW DO YOU GATHER INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION BEFORE STARTING A NEW PROJECT?
MY INSPIRATION COMES FROM DIFFERENT PLACES EACH TIME. IT COULD STEM FROM MY INTERESTS OR A MORE RATIONAL GOAL. RESEARCH PHASES OFTEN OCCUR WHEN I EXPLORE MATERIALS AND FABRICATION PROCESSES.
” I EXPRESS AN EMOTION THAT RESIDES WITHIN ME ”
TECHNOLOGY IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING IN THE DESIGN WORLD. HOW DO YOU STAY UPDATED WITH YOUR FIELD’S LATEST TOOLS, SOFTWARE, AND TRENDS?
TEACHING EXPERIENCE PROVIDES ME WITH UPDATED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TOOLS AND SOFTWARE. FOR EXAMPLE, I NOTICED THAT MANY COLLEGE STUDENTS ENJOY DRAWING ON TABLETS, SO I RECENTLY STARTED USING TABLETS FOR DIGITAL RENDERING. THIS DRAWING METHOD FEELS LIKE MORE REALISTIC, FUN, AND EFFICIENT THAN HAND-DRAWN RENDERING. VISITING NY DESIGN WEEK AND NEOCON IN CHICAGO KEEPS ME UPDATED ON DESIGN TRENDS, AND I ALSO VIEW VISUAL MEDIA OF INTERIOR AND FURNITURE DESIGN ON THE INTERNET.
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS ARE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT IN DESIGN. CAN YOU SHARE YOUR APPROACH TO ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGN PRACTICES AND MATERIALS?
AS FABRICATORS OF COLLECTIBLE OBJECTS, WE PROPOSE AN ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTION METHOD DISTINCT FROM MASS AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION. OUR SMALL-SCALE PRODUCTIONS OFTEN RELY ON LOCAL RESOURCES, SUPPORTING LOCAL ECONOMIES AND REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. WE FOCUS ON CREATING UNIQUE PIECES DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT. THESE WELL-CRAFTED OBJECTS TEND TO BE CHERISHED AND KEPT LONGER, REDUCING THE NEED FOR FREQUENT REPLACEMENTS.
WHAT ROLE DOES STORYTELLING OR NARRATIVE PLAY IN YOUR WORK? HOW DO YOU USE VISUAL ELEMENTS TO CONVEY A MESSAGE OR STORY THROUGH YOUR ART OR DESIGN?
I TRY TO FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT CONCEPTS AND GOALS WHEN MAKING DESIGN DECISIONS. I LEAVE ONLY THE DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT SUPPORT THE STORY AND REMOVE UNNECESSARY ELEMENTS THAT MIGHT CONFUSE VIEWERS AND USERS.
AYAKO, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR INCREDIBLE JOURNEY AND INSIGHTS WITH US TODAY. YOUR UNIQUE APPROACH TO DESIGN, BLENDING CULTURAL INFLUENCES WITH MODERN INNOVATION, HAS TRULY LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON THE WORLD OF FURNITURE AND SCULPTURE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHERE YOUR
