Designed by Zürich based design studio Kueng Caputo, “As If” is a ceramic series launched at the Milan furniture fair 2016 as part of an exhibition involving 16 designers and 10 potteries from Arita, Japan.
Kueng Caputo set out to best illustrate the skills of the craftsmen and women they were partnered with. Although the porcelain production of Arita is deemed industrial, the reality is that many of the processes involve handwork and numerous careful steps. The resulting series of vases and bowls makes use of Kin’emon Toen pottery’s specialist technique of airbrush painting called fukitsuke. The technique enables soft gradients of colour and texture to be applied to the surface of the porcelain. Kueng Caputo and Kin’emon Toen have invented a surface covering that creates an optical illusion, a play of light and shadow, making the viewer question the edges of the object.
All images © Kueng Caputo
Text courtesy of 2016/ Arita
