Reawakening our understanding to the limitless possibilities of what can be done with paper, ‘airvases’, created by Japanese design company Torafu Architects, are elegant and malleable self-standing structures made from a single piece of paper. Weightless and yet able to carry weight, these structures are an expression of Japanese minimalism.
In 2018, Japan House hosted several workshops with Takeo Co. Ltd., one of Japan’s most prominent paper-making companies, for guests to make their own airvases. These events were held in conjunction with the Japan House London exhibition SUBTLE: Delicate or Infinitesimal. Curated and directed by Chief Creative Director of the Japan House Project and President of Nippon Design Centre (NDC) Hara Kenya, this exhibition invited visitors to observe innovative artworks up close and in minute detail that were made from the delicate material of paper.