Every Lladró porcelain white magnolia petal of the Mokuren Chandelier is individually handcrafted and therefore never the same (left).
Naoto Fukasawa is no stranger to the design world, and his works with large Japanese retailer Muji as well as collaborations with Herman Miller, Alessi, B&B Italia, Emeco, Magis and HAY speak for themselves. Moving away from the fast-moving and volatile nature of trends in design, his philosophy is that nothing is ‘good’ forever, that the desire to ‘want something new’ and ‘want something I’ll never tire of’ is contradictory yet essential. However, harmony with our internal subconscious self lasts despite our tastes changing, leading him to focus on instinctual and naturalistic design where a project or piece just happens to be there without needing to announce itself.
The Japanese practice of hanakotoba (flower words), where different species and colours of flowers are assigned symbolic meanings, establishes a unique language that enables communication through flowers. It is not a surprise that Fukasawa chose the white magnolia tree in his collaboration with Lladró, because it symbolizes love for nature, purity and perseverance since there are fossilized specimens of magnolias dating to 20-95 million years ago.
Lladró’s Mokuren Chandelier
"WHEN I SAW THE FLOWER AND THOUGHT OF WHITE PORCELAIN, ITS TEXTURE AND QUALITIES, I AUTOMATICALLY COMPOSED THE IDEA IN MY HEAD." – NAOTO FUKUSAWA
The elegance of 30 individually unique handmade magnolia flowers in matt white porcelain contrasts with the organic lines of the black-lacquered aluminium branches. Fukasawa captures the transient phenomenon of the tree flowering and its ability to surprise, accentuating its peaceful existence with a soothing glow. “I have the feeling that I wish to remain on the kogei (craft) side of things. But when it comes to lighting, it has to be interpreted from the viewpoint of design. Mokuren is a triumph of both. It was the perfect mix,” conclude Fukasawa.
Read about Mokuren's achievement at DNA Paris Design Awards: