Book signing of Wa - The Essence of Japanese Design
On Wednesday, April 15th, 2015, at 6.00 pm, the Galleria Carla Sozzani bookstore will host the authors of WA - the Essence of Japanese Design, Rossella Menegazzo and Stefania Piotti.
Lorenzo Scoles, journalist and voice of Rai Radio 2 will moderate the discussion on the occasion of the Italian Edition of their book brought out by Phaidon and L'ippocampo.
Architect and designer Keiji Ashizawa, present at the Fuori Salone with some works cited in the book will attend.
« Wa », in Japanese, refers to the concept of harmony and peace, but it is also a synonym for Japan and its culture. It is seen as a key foundation of "Japaneseness-' what the West identifies as a paradigm of beauty. In the area of design, this results in simple shapes, the use of natural materials, but also an inner attitude towards craft, art, and the expression of life in general.
The beauty, essence and enduring impact of Japanese design, the “Wa”, is here explored through some 250 key objects. Ranging from embroidered kimonos, and traditional lacquered bento boxes to modern classics from important Japanese designers like Shiro Kuramata, and Sori Yanagi, to the “wa” of contemporary pieces from up-and-coming designers.
Rossella Menegazzo is Associate Professor of History of East Asian Art at the Università degli Studi of Milan. Curator of several exhibitions, conferences and events is also the author of numerous texts and articles on Japanese art, design, photography and culture.
Stefania Piotti has been working as scientific coordinator of various exhibitions on Japanese art.
She is a translator and editor of Italian and English and currently her research focuses on the trends of contemporary textile design.
