There is a system called "Young People's Works" whereby works created freely by young people are purchased and sold by a company.
It's been about seven or eight years since I created a forum for the young people to present these works and for me to critique them, and from the works that are created each month, we turn the best ones into products and add them to the KOMA lineup.
However, there are many requirements for commercialization, and they are strict.
First, does the form fulfill its purpose and express value commensurate with the effort that went into it? Is the design original, taking into consideration the manufacturing process? Can you sense the intention of the maker?
For now, the products created by the young people are still mostly small items, but we look forward to seeing what they will do in the future.
Now, this time, Taku Hisada's stool is rated as the best work by the young artists to date.
As we continued making prototypes, we made numerous adjustments to the angle at which the legs open.
If the angle is too narrow, the overlap when stacked will be shallow, and if it is too wide, not only will there be strength issues, but it will also make it easier for you to hit your little toe.
He also disliked the awkward gap between the seat of the lower stool and the base of the stool above when they were stacked, and was particular about making sure they overlapped perfectly.
In this way, we make the best choices at every stage of the process, such as the size and surface shape of each component, to create a design that makes sense not only in terms of form but also in terms of the production process, number of units to be manufactured, and price range.
Whether it "just happened" or "was done on purpose," the creator's intention to "do it that way" must be accurately conveyed in every component, angle, and form of the creation.
A masterpiece is one in which that dedication is conveyed to others, while something that is born from meaningless intentions that cannot be conveyed to others is always a failure.
Manufacturing allows communication beyond language.
When we see something of quality that conveys the maker's intentions, we can smile and praise and acknowledge each other, even if we don't speak the same language.
Nationality, gender, age, and position are irrelevant.
The kapo stool that Hisada created this time is an excellent piece that clearly conveys his personality, one in which he silently works towards his goals without making excuses.
There are many signs everywhere that the craftsman has tried many times, enjoying and coming up with new ideas for processes that would normally be considered troublesome and avoided.
His goal for 2025, which he announced during the New Year, is to "make one seat every month."
That's why I'm really looking forward to the monthly releases.
We have “young craftsmen's works” category at KOMA. We pay the craftsmen for the price of the piece and sell them at our shops.
For over 7 years, I have been commenting on the pieces our craftsmen present every month, and some of the exceptional ones have made it into KOMA's products.
But there are lots of severe requirements those pieces has to meet.
Are the shapes transforming the purpose of the piece? Is it fully expressing the values that it took to make? Was it designed with production process in mind, but still have originality? Is the designers intention coming through?
At the moment, the pieces that have joined KOMA's lineup are all small items, but I'm looking forward to everyone's challenges in the future.
So I recognize this new stool by Taku Hisada as the most excellent piece of all.
He was making numerous adjustments to the angle of the legs on the way.
When the angle is sharp, stools don't fully stack, and on the other hand when it is in obtuse angle, there are not enough strength and also easy to bump your little finger of your foot.
Hisada was particular about the way it stacks and made sure that there were no space in between seats.
He decided on sizing and shape of the surface as he went on, and designed with not only the form in mind, but the process, volumes and pricing of the product too.
“Did it naturally become this way?” or “Did you intend to make it this way?”
Every material, every angle, every form has to convey the designers intention.
Pieces that convey those attention to details are the masterpieces, and others are just crap.
Craftsmanship is a way of communication without words.
When you see a piece with the designers intention, you don't need words to praise one another. Nationality, age, status, nothing matters.
kapo stool is an excellent piece that expresses Hisada's personality. He always works steadily towards the goal without making excuses.
I notice many challenges that most people would have felt tedious, but he tried over and over again enjoying the process.
Hisada’s goal for 2025 is “making one new seating tool a month”
So I'm looking forward to the presentation in the coming months.