LVMH prize finalist, Ryunosuke Okazaki, shows the RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI 001 collection in Tokyo. Born in Hiroshima in 1995, Okazaki has spent considerable time reflecting on 'peace' within the history and climate of the city he was born in. This collection takes the word 'Pray' as inspiration, a notion the designer recognizes as a ritual as old as time.
Inspirations
Okazaki's first work "Wearing Prayer" is a dress made from recycled paper cranes. He also made connections between nature and worship. “I remember there was a shrine near my parents’ house, Itsukushima Shrine, and its gate standing on the sea was very impressive. It made me more aware that the relationship between nature and people is at the origin of the idea of ‘pray’” says Okazaki.
The symmetrical formations of Jōmon pottery served as another inspiration. "The Jōmon period spans a long period of time, approximately 10,000 years, during which time mankind lived under the threat of nature. Okazaki believes that this awe of nature, this hope for its blessings, this wish for the very survival of mankind, is embodied in the shapes of his earthenware. Using the stretchy properties of ribbed materials and lightweight knitwear, he sews in bone tape or interlaces to create curved lines using the tension of the knit to create ridged lines and decoration reminiscent of Jōmon pottery."
Nature and life
“What is contained in earthenware is connected with nature and life, and is extremely primitive in the history of ‘pray’. I think that the strong impression that the forms give is an embodiment of the strength of ‘pray’ and the wishes that have been put into them. They are also a reminder to those of us who live in the modern world. Just like the people of the Jōmon period who made Jōmon pottery, I create my works with my hands and with my heart. Before drawing the design, I touch materials, make use of its characteristics, explore the combinations. I am deeply moved by the moment when creators make something that exceeds our imagination in the process.”
Explore the full Ryunosuke Okazaki 001 collection below.
Instagram: @ryunosuke.okazaki
