The Pink Stool has a calm and self-reliant attitude. It consists of two contradictive container shapes put together: an upright and deep vertical shape and a flat horizontal shape that defines the seating. Everlastingness. Bakker adds ‘everlastingness’ to the product by applying ‘Urushi’. A traditional Japanese lacquer made of tree sap. The varnish is naturally extracted from the Urushi tree. Urushi is applied for 30 or more layers of varnish and each layer must be allowed to dry in a warm, dust-free, humid environment. Lacquer applied too thickly or unevenly, or allowed to dry too quickly or slowly can ruin a piece. Each layer is polished by hand, a process that creates tiny, almost imperceptible variations in shade and colour and gives the surface its sense of depth and life. The natural one-component varnish becomes harder and harder over time. Keeping the core of the product intact for decades. Today there are 9000-year-old objects - still well preserved with Urushi. The technique demands slowness, awareness, time and attention. The Urushi series is Bakker’s peaceful protest against overspending. Conservation versus consumerism.
Product type:
Stool
Dimensions:
H: 44cm
Ø: 48cm
Material:
Architectural foam
Finish:
Urushi lacquer
Aldo Bakker (1971) is a Dutch designer, with an uncompromising approach to design. His work has a delicate and rare sense of harmony, in which shapes communicate through association, touch, texture, and materiality. His designs are often strange, yet strangely familiar. Always intended to trigger a response.
Inspiration
