Description
JONATHAN JOUAN’S “TEGU” IS A STRIKING EXAMPLE OF FUNCTIONAL ART, A WALL-MOUNTED DESK THAT TRANSCENDS ITS UTILITARIAN PURPOSE TO EVOKE THE SPIRIT OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY. DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE TENGU, A POWERFUL AND PROTECTIVE CREATURE IN SHINTO LORE, THE DESK EMBODIES BOTH THE STRENGTH AND ELEGANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MYTHIC BEING.
THE TENGU, KNOWN FOR SAFEGUARDING ITS DOMAIN FROM THE HEIGHTS OF ITS MOUNTAIN, FINDS A PARALLEL IN THE ROBUST DESIGN OF THE DESK’S BODY. THIS SOLID STRUCTURE NOT ONLY SERVES AS A PRACTICAL WORKSPACE BUT ALSO SYMBOLIZES THE ENDURING STRENGTH OF THE TENGU, ANCHORING THE PIECE FIRMLY WITHIN ITS ENVIRONMENT. YET, IT IS THE WING OF THE TENGU—AN EMBLEM OF GRACE AND AGILITY—THAT INFORMS THE DESIGN’S MOST CAPTIVATING FEATURE. THE DESK’S TOP, ADORNED WITH DELICATE FEATHER MOTIFS, INTRODUCES A SENSE OF LIGHTNESS AND FLUIDITY, CREATING A DYNAMIC CONTRAST WITH THE SOLIDITY BELOW. THESE INTRICATE PATTERNS ELEVATE THE DESK BEYOND MERE FUNCTIONALITY, TRANSFORMING IT INTO A SCULPTURAL ARTWORK THAT INVITES BOTH ADMIRATION AND INTERACTION.
MATERIALS
RYE STRAW, SOLID BRASS, UPCYCLED WOOD, WHITE OAK.
DIMENSIONS
L 10CM X W 68CM X H 175CM
Jonathän Jouan’s work transcends the physical realm, aspiring to evoke intangible and spiritual encounters. His artistic pieces deeply connected to mythological stories, drawing from the ancient tales that once stirred his childhood imagination. In the present, he creates custom pieces that tell personal stories, forging a connection between the object and its owner.
Through his reinterpretation of folklore, nostalgic recollections, and timeless narratives, Jouan offers a glimpse into a world where art serves as both a mirror and a window into the human experience – rooted in the past, grounded in the present, and reaching towards an unseen future.
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