TOU BY NAOTO FUKASAWA || Tribute to The Ancient Handicraft of Rattan and Reed Wickerwork
A chair is an integral part of the home as we spend a significant amount of time lounging in one at home or at work.
A good chair is one that is at once aesthetically pleasing but even more importantly, invites and allows you to truly sit back and relax. Whenever we catch sight of rattan and wickered chairs, our thoughts instantly gravitate towards a relaxing vacation, which is why when we laid eyes on Tou by Naoto Fukasawa, the design whisked us back to memories of the days of warm escapes of our travels.
We can imagine Tou as an addition to a tranquil garden, where one can enjoy a cup of iced or hot tea depending on the season.
Rattan and reed wickerwork is an ancient handicraft that has been influential for both Western and Eastern cultures. Used in all kinds of domestic utensils, furniture and more, the simple yet natural material is strong yet light. This is perhaps what makes Tou so appealing — its familiar and comforting materials — unlike other modern pieces that are heavy and elaborate, Tou accomplishes the more difficult task of keeping things simple.
The simplicity of Tou’s design is what makes it so appealing and usable.
The manufacture combines traditional manual techniques with much more industrial processes. Instead of using the most common form of weaving, Fukasawa uses striped vertical lines, which are lighter and much more expressive than mesh. The outline is smooth and soft, following the natural shapes provided by the material.
“It combines traditional manual techniques with industrial processes”
Naoto Fukasawa
