Story 3. Independent
A single life form “seed”
A single flower vase shaped like a seed.
When arranging flowers, it appears as if sprouts emerge from the seeds, transforming into stems and blooming into flowers.
The design of the vase was inspired by the shapes of coconut palms and pistachios.
Inspired by the image of sprouts emerging from fallen coconuts on a tropical sandy beach, and the sight of sprouts emerging from the hard shells of pistachios.
When water is provided to the seed, it germinates and extends its roots.
A single seed contains the essential nutrients required for a series of activities. The aim was to create a shape that evokes the energy, strength, and potential inherent in the “seed.”
The bottom surface was made smaller, and efforts were made to create the appearance of it being slightly floated from the ground.
An independent entity from everything else.
In the previous work [Dimension], the theme was to eliminate the boundary between the wall and the flower vase, and the fusion of the wall and the flower vase.
As for the theme of the design, it aimed to minimize the presence of the flower vase and achieve integration with the wall.
This time, on the contrary, I explored the theme of the independence of the flower vase. The goal was to create something that exists as a flower vase regardless of where it is placed.
Therefore, once again, I decided to contemplate the minimum unit that identifies a vase as a vase.
For example, cups and test tubes are also used as vases.
Photo by Stephanie Harvey on Unsplash
Considering that, the essential requirements for a flower vessel are “being able to hold water” and “supporting a stalk-like object.” These requirements are not specific or exceptional conditions for many containers; they are rather common and general.
In that case, what defines a container as a flower vase is “the presence of flowers being placed in it” and “the intention of the person to use it for decoration.”
The moment flowers are placed inside a container, that container becomes a flower vase.
Conversely, it may be difficult for someone to recognize a container as a flower vessel unless flowers are placed inside it.
The answer to whether the liquid inside a container is alcoholic beverage or simply water where bacteria happily reside cannot be determined until one taste it.
To clearly establish that a container is a flower vessel before placing flowers in it, what can be done?
It was considered effective for the shape of the container to be related to “flowers.”
The shape associated with flowers becomes the essential requirement to make the container truly resemble a flower vase.
In order to make this idea more concrete, let’s think about the identity and independence of “flowers.
The life of a flower beings from a seed and ultimately ends in withering. Whether the flower is rooted in the ground, gathered into a bouquet, or placed in a vase, its lifespan extends until it eventually “wilts.”
While there is a continuity of reproduction through pollen as individual flowers, they are each a single organism that begins from one seed. They start from a seed and end by leaving behind new seeds.
“Seed” gives us a premonition of the future flower (planting a flower).
“Seeds” symbolize the beginning and end of life. It is a perfect representation of the “independence” expressed in this work.
Something akin to "wishes" or "prayers".
Recognizing and respecting others as individual life forms can also be seen as defining them as “something different or separate from oneself.” doing so, one establishes boundaries for interference and accepts what one can or cannot do. This can be observed in the emotions experienced during the process of a child growing independent from their parents or when one faces the need to detach from their parents.
Additionally, there are challenging situations where one’s involvement is limited, such as when a colleague changes jobs or there are organizational changes, a child’s graduation or wedding, and times of celebration, as well as when a friend is going through a difficult situation where one’s ability to help may be limited.
However, in all cases, one sees the other as an independent entity and wishes for their success and happiness, even if one cannot be involved. This feeling may be similar to praying or making a wish to a higher power, like a deity or fate.
I put “prayer” in this vase.
Photo by Saad Chaudhry on Unsplash
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