OIYA by JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO
Tile
OIYA | JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO | photography : Isao Hashinoki
DESIGN NOTE
Tiles made by LOCAL techniques of Awaji Island
The beauty of unevenness created by the wet process
Natural shades of colour due to firing
photography : Isao Hashinoki
words : Reiji Yamakura/IDREIT
Tokyo-based design studio JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO has designed a series of products for Oiya, a project that brings together three Awaji tile manufacturers.
When we asked the designer, Jin Kuramoto, about his design concept, he said, " We considered the slightly uneven shape of the tiles, which is different from mass-produced tiles, as an advantage and designed them to have an organic touch. When thinking about the product's shape, we were careful not to over-design it because it would be easy for the architect to install.
Kuramoto, originally from Awaji Island and wishes to contribute to the local community, also said, "We are hoping that these tiles and blocks will encourage people to take an interest in Awaji tiles. We aim to make Oiya an open platform for designers and architects to make use of and to revitalise the Awaji tile industry."
The name Oiya is derived from the Scandinavian word for island, 'øy'. Their first collection includes furniture such as benches made of kawara tiles, blocks and tiles.
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DETAIL
‘T-01’ tile showing a cracked rough texture in the centre.
B-02B is a 95 mm thick block with a hole on its centre.
‘T-06’ tiles have a woven look when installed together.
Awaji Island is known as one of the three largest tile producing areas in Japan for its quality clay.
CREDIT
Name: Oiya
Manufacturer: Tatsumi Corporation, Mihara Tokusyu-Kawara Co. , NOMIZU co.,Ltd.
Design: Jin Kuramoto / JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO
Art Direction: Haruhiko Taniuchi / desegno ltd.
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Material: kawara tile
Size: T-01 / W300×H93×D30
T-06 / W275×H60×D22
B-02A / W95×H195×D118
B-02A / W100×H205×D125
B-02B / W95×H195×D118
B-02B / W100×H205×D125
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