So Koizumi Solo Exhibition
Art & Design
Tokyo-based designer So Koizumi (SO KOIZUMI DESIGN) presents his inaugural solo exhibition at the gallery es quart, showcasing a collection of experimental furniture pieces that challenge conventional perspectives on materiality and function.
The exhibition marks a significant milestone for SO KOIZUMI DESIGN, which has gained international recognition since its establishment in 2021, including a notable debut at ALCOVA MILANO earlier this year. The studio's practice spans spatial design and furniture creation, characterized by an experimental methodology that challenges conventional design paradigms.
Located in the historic Senzoku district of Taito-ku, the exhibition features four major works that demonstrate Koizumi's innovative approach to design: Fossilized Future, SEVEN, Polysemy, and Urut. Each piece reflects his distinctive methodology of merging conceptual thinking with material experimentation.
The exhibition's centerpiece, "Fossilized Future," presents a radical reimagining of contemporary furniture through the lens of archaeological discovery. This collection employs an innovative material composition that Koizumi developed through extensive experimentation with locally-sourced components.
Koizumi has created what he terms 'contemporary soil' - a composite material that incorporates discarded organic matter such as rice husks, coffee grounds, and vegetable waste, alongside minerals and charcoal. This material investigation is complemented by the use of timber from local forests affected by oak wilt disease, creating a narrative about resource utilization and environmental consciousness.
Each piece is sculpted using a chainsaw, a process that mirrors archaeological discoveries. "The process of cutting through these blocks with a chainsaw becomes an act of excavation," explains Koizumi. "Each cut reveals new layers and textures, capturing the temporal relationship between present-day materials and their potential future fossilized state."
