KUWATA AYUKO
Freelance / Graphic Designerexhibition
RePly
Plywood developed within modern industry in pursuit of efficiency and uniformity, and is now recognized as an industrial material widely used in fields such as architecture and furniture.
Yet the trees from which plywood originates are rooted in the earth of the forest and rise toward the sky, each possessing its own unique irregularities. Throughout history, people have found strength and purity in the imperfect forms of trees, and have discovered value in their uniqueness by projecting their own meanings and emotions onto them.
RePly explores possibilities beyond plywood as an industrial product by introducing craft-based interventions at various stages of the transformation from tree to plywood. Through this process, the project seeks to reconsider the relationship between nature and people—one that has become fragmented within the structures of modern industry.
overview
The project creates products by applying operations such as omission, substitution, addition, and reinterpretation to various stages of the conventional plywood manufacturing process.
Molded plywood that retains the original contour of a tree.
The boundary between solid wood and veneer.
Graphic designs that reinterpret wood grain as a grid.
Existing products transformed into plywood.
An alternative form of plywood, emerging from the layered effects of these interventions—one that operates according to principles other than efficiency.
member
RePly is a collaborative project led by product designers, graphic designers, artists, and woodworkers who are either based in Shizuoka Prefecture or have roots there, with the cooperation of a local plywood manufacturer.
By reinterpreting Shizuoka’s deeply rooted culture of manufacturing, as well as its materials and production processes, through the diverse expertise of its members, the project presents new perspectives on the possibilities of plywood and local craftsmanship.
