G-Star's The Art of Raw partners with Japanese designer, Kodai Iwamoto
In 2023, G-Star Raw launched its art platform, The Art of Raw, where young creatives show the endless possibilities of denim by creating art objects out of denim waste.
Kodai Iwamoto. Image supplied
After collaborating with various international design talents, the brand has now worked with Japanese designer Kodai Iwamoto. Inspired by the historical connection between the Dutch and Japanese, Iwamoto created a lamp made from traditional washi paper and infused with denim waste fibres.
During the 19th century, pieces of paper travelled from Japan to the Netherlands, mostly used as packaging material to wrap ceramics. The unfamiliar composition and colour scheme of these Ukiyo-e prints were the inspiration behind the work of artists like Vincent van Gogh.
Iwamoto used the charm of the paper material as the starting point for his art object.
Iwamoto infused the washi paper with denim fibers crafted by Japanese factory Igarashi Seishi to create a brand-new material, titled ‘Uneri”. The lightning object is inspired by Shoji, traditional Japanese doors from a circular wooden frame, lattice-like framework and washi paper.
Image by Loes de Boer for G-Star Raw
This modern interpretation fuses traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. The object’s Japanese name translates to “swelling ocean waves,” because of the way the denim fibres look when mixed into the liquid paper.
Iwamoto studied product design at Kobe Design University and École cantonale d'art de Lausanne in Switzerland. Based in Tokyo and the Kagoshima prefecture, Iwamoto runs his own studio, where he focuses on bringing together contradictions like mass production and craftsmanship, eastern and western culture, product design and traditional art.
The designer has won multiple awards, including the Young Japanese Design Talent Award by Elle Décor Japan and Rising Talents Award 2022 by Maison & Objet.
G-Star Raw’s art platform has created denim art pieces since its start, with art and design being at the core of its DNA.
Continuing its quest to push creative boundaries, G-Star Raw has collaborated with emerging talents on a new series of art objects. In line with the brand’s responsible initiatives, each artist has been given the freedom to experiment using denim waste or deadstock, creating unique pieces within their own disciplinary whilst upcycling materials.
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