Akiko Ken Made — Cursive
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
Cursive is an exploration by Akiko Ken Made into the duality of ash wood as both a delicate yet strong material for use in furniture. Featured atop an a-frame style base and central spine in solid ash, a series of steam bent ash “ribs” weave over and under one-another to form a seating platform. While each section of the steam bent ash seat is only 5mm in thickness, combined they afford the design strength and flexibility, allowing subtle movement to the seating area and additional comfort for the user.
Material and dimensions:
Ash Wood.
118 x 35.5 x 43.5cm.
Year:
2024
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Benjamin Lund
LONG DESCRIPTION:
The use of intricately woven steam bent ash strands within the Cursive seating bench forms a continuation of Akiko Ken Made’s earlier project Fletverk; a cushion created entirely from compressed beech wood. Cursive follows the same principles present within Fletverk – marrying delicate individual pieces of wood and utilizing their combined strength through weaving, in this case pushing the techniques to its limit with a seating area over one meter in length. While the seating component contains an innate sense of decoration through the repetitive nature of its construction, placed on an archetypal base structure in solid ash allows the top element to float – adding to the visual lightness of the piece. Under the weight of the user, the structure reacts through subtle sound and movement in a testament to Akiko Ken Made’s desire to create work that interacts with the user – forming a bond over time.
DESIGNER BIO:
Akiko Ken Made
Akiko Kuwahata.
Designer, born 1976.
Ken Winther.
Cabinetmaker, born 1973.
Working from within their own constructed studio next to their house north of Copenhagen, work and life partners Akiko Kuwahata and Ken Winther create intricate and delicate objects and furniture designed to bring joy. Through years of focus on their material of choice – all types of wood, hard and soft and with a variety of colours, grain patterns and scents, Akiko Ken Made highlights the duality of wood as a material that is hard, durable and lasting, yet soft and flexible. While Akiko tends to focus on ideation and Ken on joinery and construction techniques, the duo work together creating full scale mock-ups that test concepts and forms; their collaborative focus deepening through final detailing and finishing. Their work promotes interaction through form, tactility and function, resulting in pieces that encourage a growing connection within peoples lives.
EDUCATION:
Akiko Kuwahata
2005: MA Furniture and Interior Design, Aarhus School of Architecture, Aarhus, Denmark.
1999: BA Living Space Design, College of Art, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan.
Ken Winther
Cabinetmakers Apprenticeship, PP Møbler, Allerød, Denmark.
GRANTS & HONOURS:
2024: Working Grant, The Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2023: Working Grant, Copenhagen Cabinetmakers Guild, Denmark.
2017: Travel Grant, The Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2017: Award, Handcrafts, Danish Art and Craft Association, Denmark.
2017: Working Grant, Kunstforeningen 14. August, Denmark.
2016: Award, The Artisan Prize of 1897, Denmark.
EXHIBITIONS:
2024: Solo Exhibition, Studio Hinge, Seoul, South Korea.
2023: Solo Exhibition, In Praise of Shadows, Galerie Maria Wettergren, Paris, France.
2022: Group Exhibition, Fabrik, The Danish Cabintemakers Autumn Exhibition, Denmark.
2021: Group Exhibition, Time Tact Tone, The Danish Cabintemakers Autumn Exhibition, Denmark.
2020: Group Exhibition, Illusions, The Danish Cabintemakers Autumn Exhibition, Denmark.
2020: Group Exhibition, Poesitrae, Dina Vejling Galleri, Odense, Denmark.
2019: Solo Exhibition, Irresistible Sensibly Wood, Grønbechs Gård, Bornholm, Denmark.
2019: Group Exhibition, Re-Think, The Danish Cabintemakers Autumn Exhibition, Denmark.
2017: Group Exhibition, Breathe, Everyday Life/ Signs of Awareness, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan.
2017: Group Exhibition, Congratulation Machine, 25th Year Jubilee, The Cabinetmakers Association, Denmark.
2016: Group Exhibition, Breathe, Mindcraft 16, Milan, Italy.
2015: Group Exhibition, Breathe, Mindcraft 15, Milan, Italy.
2015: Solo Exhibition, Butik for Borddækning, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2014: Group Exhibition, Koko & STiTCH, Galerie Maria Wettergren, Paris, France.
2011: Group Exhibition, STiTCH, WOWOWO – Women Work in Wood, England.
2009: Group Exhibition, My Precious Universe, My Precious, Cabinetmakers Association, Copenhagen, Denmark.
COLLECTIONS:
2024: Tram, Centre National Des Arts Plastiques (CNAP), Paris, France.
2024: Kvartet, Centre National Des Arts Plastiques (CNAP), Paris, France.
2018: Facet, The Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
COMMISSIONS:
2023: Award Trophy, Kritikens Hensigt Award, The Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2021: Baptism Tree, Odense Cathedral, Odense, Denmark.
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