For most of us, a dropped ceramic mug or plate might mean a one-way ticket for the broken vessel to the trash bin. For Tokyo-based designer Yusuke Seki however, they would likely be added to his collection of ‘shinikiji’ – the Japanese term for flawed pieces.
Recently, the Japanese designer – who has worked with everybody from AU to Sony – was commissioned by the Japanese ceramics brand Maruhiro Inc to develop the interior design for the company’s flagship store in Nagasaki – an area that has strong roots in artisanal ceramic craft and industry.
Aiming to highlight the area’s industrial history, Seki sourced over 25,000 pieces of shinikiji from makers in the region – including plates, cups, and bowls – to create an elevated platform in the Maruhiro store that features a rotation of the company’s latest product collections.
In order to ensure that the platform would support multiple humans at a time over a long period of time, each of the broken vessels was fixed and filled with concrete to create a makeshift ‘brick’ – resulting in a surprisingly sturdy platform made from otherwise fragile parts:
See more of the designer’s impressive work by heading over to YusukeSeki.com.