« Top literary names to headline WORD 08 | Home | Polar Standard by Bangor Academic Revised Under Editorship of Another Bangor Academic »
Hands-On Exhibition to Seduce the Senses
By 
1stAngel | March 24, 2008
University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester
A new free exhibition featuring projects by internationally renowned Japanese designer Masayo Ave will open at the University College, Epsom on 3 April - 12 May.
Masayo Ave’s designs include lights, bath accessories, fabrics, desk accessories, sofa modules, tiles and vases, even a keyboard and a cat basket.
All Ave’s designs share a striking quality - haptics. That is, carefully selected materials and unusual surfaces, which directly encourage the observer to touch them and discover them with their hands.
Born in Tokyo where she originally studied and worked as an architect, Ave decided to try something new - industrial design.
As well as working on her own collection, she now also works as a product designer for firms such as Authentics, Industrielle, DuPont Corian and Yamaha.
Ave creates designs that are styled not just visually but also transform the emotional quality of materials into functional objects. Although haptic refers primarily to touch, all the senses are engaged in the design and appreciation of the objects.
The design process starts an assessment of the sensual qualities of materials such as- softness, hardness, wetness, dryness and temperature - bringing together the senses, design and science.
When considering Ave’s sponge-like, molton and orange table and wall lamp, (pictured) the viewer can sense what it feels to the touch like just by looking - and vice versa.
The material used for the light diffuser (made from an open celled foam) is both washable and recyclable.
The exhibition also includes the ground-breaking haptic dictionary created in collaboration with designers and students across Europe.
Ave’s work will also go on to feature in a large-scale exhibition Haptic - an awakening of the senses at RIBA London (7 May - 7 June) and the Lighthouse in Glasgow (18 June - 29 September).
To coincide with this series of exhibitions University College Epsom’s Professor Lesley Millar, will also deliver a conference at RIBA London. Memory and Touch: an Exploration of textural communication will take place on 7 May.
| 2.5 |
Topics: Exhibitions |