VASE No.1
Collaborate with Khanh Nguyen
VASE No. 1 – Concept/Yujin
The concept for the vase emerged during a collaborative brainstorming session with my Neri&Hu coworkers and friends at the MUUTO event two years ago. We aimed to capture the entire life cycle of a flower, from blooming to withering, using a vase as a representation. Bringing home a bouquet, arranging them in chronological order, and observing the progression solidified, frozen, and presented the beauty of a flower's journey. Thus, we aptly named this vase ’花期’ (Stages of Flowers), and our epiphany garnered us the prestigious 1st Prize. Although the classic MUUTO cover lounge chair that came with the award is no longer in our possession, the idea remains etched in my mind.
This year, the collaboration with the talented ceramic artist, Khanh Nguyen, materialized the design. We selected peonies as the subject to determine the size and clay type for the vase. For the glazing, we opted for 'Birch' on the exterior, a beige hue that closely resembles the natural state of the clay. On the interior, to enhance the nature-inspired theme, we applied 'Lime Light' at the top, transitioning into a deeper green shade called 'Wasabi' at the bottom of the vase. This color scheme beautifully echoes the essence of nature. In June, in the vibrant city of Boston, as the peonies near the end of their flowering period, we finally unveil our efforts: the VASE No.1--’花期‘.
VASE No. 1 – Making/Khanh
The idea of the vase is a unified object that also can be read as a collection of tall bud vases for each flower. This symbolized a physical time line, capturing each stages for blooming.
Next steps of the process is to select the color. We sorted through 22 options of color test tiles, placing them against each other and next to the vase. The final color selection is “birch” from Mayco, a creamy beige color that breaks brown around the edge, giving a lively earthy hue to the vase; “lime light” from Mayco Stroke and Coats line, a light green that is lively and bright, adding a subtle pop of color to the neutral and unanimous form. This green then transitions into a darker yet still lively green, called “wasabi”; made by Amaco. The exterior color transition from beige to brown, expresses the earthy elements of the vase; while the interior color expresses the color of a flower stem.
After more than two months of hard work, the final product is delivered and living happily with Yujin. It was a great designing and learning experience on how to translate a conceptual idea into a physical and functional product.
The idea of the vase is a unified object that also can be read as a collection of tall bud vases for each flower. This symbolized a physical time line, capturing each stages for blooming.
Next steps of the process is to select the color. We sorted through 22 options of color test tiles, placing them against each other and next to the vase. The final color selection is “birch” from Mayco, a creamy beige color that breaks brown around the edge, giving a lively earthy hue to the vase; “lime light” from Mayco Stroke and Coats line, a light green that is lively and bright, adding a subtle pop of color to the neutral and unanimous form. This green then transitions into a darker yet still lively green, called “wasabi”; made by Amaco. The exterior color transition from beige to brown, expresses the earthy elements of the vase; while the interior color expresses the color of a flower stem.
After more than two months of hard work, the final product is delivered and living happily with Yujin. It was a great designing and learning experience on how to translate a conceptual idea into a physical and functional product.
