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Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA in 1962. Graduated from the California Institute of the Arts, Los Angeles in 1985. Continued studies as a research student at Nippon Daigaku, and later worked under Takenobu Igarashi. Established design studio, Normal Y.K., in 2000. Launched the "Vols" cell phone design for the KDDI AU Design Project in 2006. Has exhibited widely throughout Europe, the United States, and Japan. Currently serves as a panel member for 100% Design Tokyo. Honored with the Tokyo Designers Block Frame award for best installation on 2003, and three Good Design awards. [+/-] more profile.. [+] Japanese profile.. |
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New Year Resolution: Tofu Last weekend I went to a New Years party at Gwenale Nicolas's house. He, and his wife, Reiko, have never been big fans of tofu, so their new year's resolution was to learn to like it. (No explanation was given, but I am assuming because it is healthy?) All who attended we instructed to bring the best tofu they could find. Here are the results:      Nico in Africa  Intrepid explorer Nico's new T-shirt  Hello Dolly I made, and sold the Dolly Salt and Pepper Shaker a few years ago in Japan, but it was too complicated for me to produce at the time. Now the Danish brand Normann Copenhagen has taken it on, and will begin selling world-wide. If any brand can do Dolly justice, it is Normann Copenhagen. You can check out their site at here.    Evil Nico Nico found Madoka's lipstick the other day when we weren't looking. All I can think of is Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight. 先日、私たちが見ていない時にNicoがまどかの口紅を発見してしまいました。 まるで映画「ダークナイト」のヒース・レジャーのようです。   Mujinkun no Ryoha-kun I found this picture the other day as I was sorting out my computer: 先日コンピューターをいじっていたら、こんな写真が出て来ました：  Those of you who were in Japan around 1998 may remember the popular Mujinkun series of commercials. Yes, this is me as "Rohya-kun". I wasn't in any of the TV spots, but I was developing the Mujinkun website at the time. This photo was posted on the site advertising my services as the head webmaster of Chantosei (Planet Chanto). 1998年頃に日本にいた方なら、「むじんくん」のテレビCMシリーズを覚えている事でしょう。そう、これは僕が演じていた「ローヒャくん」です。テレビに写ることはありませんでしたが、当時僕は「むじんくん」のウェブサイトの制作をしていました。この写真は、CHANTOSEI GALAXYで僕がウェブマスターをしていた時に、「むじんくん」のウェブサイト上に自社広告用に掲載していたものです。 You can see some of the old Mujinkun commercials here: 以前の「むじんくん」のコマーシャルをが見られます： http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/entertainment/watch/v17812249Me9h4hzj Opening Night / Old Friends Long time, no blog. Apologies. ご無沙汰をしてごめんなさい！ Last Friday I went to two exhibitions of note. First to Takenobu Igarashi's show at Designshop +Gallery. The show presents many of the exploratory models for his numerous public sculptures of the past two decades. I used to work under Igarashi many years ago while he was developing some of these pieces, so it was a stroll down memory lane for me. I was a graphic designer at the time, but seeing Igarashi working on products, and developing these 3D pieces inspired me to eventually go into product design myself. 先週金曜の夜、2つの展示会に出かけました。ひとつ目が、五十嵐威暢氏の20年に渡る実験的な彫刻の模型が一同に介した「Designshop +Gallery」での展示会。 以前僕が五十嵐氏の元で働いていた頃に手がけていた作品がいくつかあって、当時の記憶を辿るような感覚になりました。 僕はその頃はグラフィックデザイナーでしたが、五十嵐氏がプロダクトに取り取り組み立体作品を作り上げる姿が、僕がプロダクトの道に進むのに少なからず影響を与えていると思います。    If you are interested (and in Tokyo), the show is called "Market". Here is the information: Schedule: June 12 to June 28, 2009 (closed Thursdays) 11:00 am ~7:00 pm Location: designshop +gallery Shiro Building 1F 2-1-17 Minami Azabu Minato-ku Tokyo Tel : 03-5791-9790 URL : http://www.mh-unit.com/designshop/gallery/ マケット展 会期 : 2009 年6 月12 日( 金)～2009 年6 月28 日( 日) 11:00～19:00 木曜休 会場 : designshop +gallery 東京都港区南麻布2-1-17 白ビル１F Tel : 03-5791-9790 URL : http://www.mh-unit.com/designshop/gallery/ Next, was the "Stool" case study exhibition by Tonerico, at Gallery Le Bain. This show exhaustively explores subtle variations on a simple stool form. The prototypes are beautifully made by Tendo Mokko. Worth a look if you are into this kind of thing. 2つ目はトネリコのCase Study 01 "STOOL"を見に「ギャラリー・ル・ベイン」へ。 一つ一つ微妙に形の異なるスツールが幾つも並んでいます。これらの美しいスツールは天童木工により制作されているとの事です。興味のある方はぜひ足をお運びください。  Schedule: June 9 to June 26, 2009 ((closed Mondays)) Hours: 11:00 am ~7:00 pm (until 5:00 pm on last day) Location: GALLERY Le bain 3-16-28 Nishi Azabu Minato-ku; Tokyo URL: http://www.le-bain.com TONERICO:INC. Case Study 01 [ STOOL ] 会期 : 2009.6.9 [Tue] - 6.26 [Fri] 11:00 - 19:00 最終日は17:00まで 月曜休廊 会場: GALLERY Le bain 東京都港区西麻布3-16-28 URL: http://www.le-bain.com No pictures of the good folks of Tonerico, but I did run into my old friend Gwenael Nicolas of Curiosity. トネリコたちの写真はありませんが、会場で僕の昔からの友人、CURIOSITYのグエナエル・ニコラに遭遇しました。  Happy Birthday Nico! Hard to believe, but Nico turned one this past Wednesday, March 4.     We had a small party, with several other families. It was the first time for me to see Nico interact with other babies. More than a party, I would say "Gathering", because there can be no structure when so many toddlers are involved.     You try to take a picture where everyone is looking at the camera at the same time with three mothers and their three babies.  Here is Nico with some of her presents. I am particularly proud of the box I made (upper left) for her to hold all of her prenatal and first year memorabilia. It is not a very baby-friendly design, but it is for Nico to appreciate later in life.  Happy New Year 2009! Wow. Has it been that long since I last blogged? Sorry. I promise new images from my Winter holiday in the near future. In the mean time, here are some pictures of Nico (now 10 months old) getting drunk over Christmas.    (No, no, not really) Hong Kong Watch Trade Show Two things about Hong Kong: 1) By day, Hong Kong sucks all colors directly out of the air. By night it vomits them back up in an orgy of rainbow neon.  2) 24 hours a day Hong Kong is an orgy of food.  I was in Hong Kong for a watch trade show. It's the second largest fair of its kind after Basil. A bit overwhelming to say the least, but very educational.....  ...and enjoyable thanks to my host, Mr. Sato.  100% Elevator Ride I am a panel member again this year for 100% Design Tokyo, and we just completed a seminar at Roppongi Hills for this year's participants. I took this shot in the mirrored Elevator on the way down after the event.  Clockwise from bottom left: Saeki-san from Trico, 100% Design Panel Member Michael Young, this year's 100%Design venue designer me Kawasaki-san, head of Design Association Konishi-san (middle), also with Design Association Hawaii Vacation We just got back from a week-long holiday in Honolulu, the perfect antidote to Tokyo. The trip was planned so that Nico (nearly five months old) could meet my mother, her grandmother. Mom is getting old, so it's easier for us to convene in Hawaii, rather than her coming all the way to Japan. 少し早い夏休みを取ってオアフ島に行ってきました。 ニコにとっては初めてアメリカのおばあちゃんやおじさんに会う、とてもメモリアルな旅となりました。  Nico's first plain ride. (She was a doll the whole flight) 初めての飛行機の中。フライト前は心配していましたが、案外いい子にしていました。ほっ。  Mom meeting Nico for the first time- おばあちゃんに始めたあったときの様子。  -and my brother, Gus. おじさん（ロスのお兄さん）。  Nico, Hawaiian-style. ハワイ満喫の様子。  Nico's first swim. 初めての海ー！  Hula girls! フラガール！ And a few other pictures: その他楽しいひとときを過ごしました☆：      Okonomiyake Party A few weeks ago our good friend, Tomoko Azumi, was in town. She was on her way back to London via Tokyo following an exhibition in Kyoto. Tomoko in from Hiroshima, as is my wife (they actually went to the same high school), as if our friend and neighbor, Abe Ryo. As some of you may know, whenever you reach a critical mass of Hiroshima-bread people, it is inevitable that an Okonomiyake Party occurs.   Okonomiyake is often described as a sort of Japanese pancake, but it is more like a whole meal grilled up between two thin crepes. All of your basic food groups are in there. It is the local dish of Hiroshima, and an matter of pride for them. Of course, after a few drinks, the party degraded into a Takoyaki Party, and then all of the rules were thrown out the window. Kyoko, not of Hiroshima, on the Takoyaki machine:  Tomoko, Abe, and myself:  Madoka, and Tomoko  Maruni Trip Last week Madoka, Nico, and I tool a trip down to Hiroshima to see her family for Golden week. On the last day we had a chance to visit Maruni, which is located near by. Maruni is a Japanese furniture brand with an 80 year history renowned for its excellent quality. Most of what they produce are classical reproductions, but about four years ago they launched a new line of modern furniture called "Nextmaruni" . I've been a fan of this brand from the beginning, as it has pieces by some of my favorite designers, including Harri Koskinen, Shin Azumi, Naoto Fukasawa, and Jasper Morrison. Apparently, bringing the same level of quality to these contemporary pieces was a great challenge for them in the beginning, but results have been well worth it.   They were kind enough to give Madoka and I extensive tours of both of their factories, and invite us to an opening of their exhibition at the Oriental Hotel Hiroshima. Thank you Yamanaka-san, Kawakami-san, Mizukami-san, and Sadayasu-san.   You can find out more about Nextmaruni on their site [www.nextmaruni.com], and also in this pingmag article [make.pingmag.jp/2008/01/22/maruni/]. 2008 So far Well, it's only March, and already everything has changed since the beginning of the year. My company, Normal, evolved from a yugengaisha (Company Limited) to a Kabushikigaisha (Corporation). I finally earned my Japanese permanent residence status, and of course, Nico arrived.  Nico came home from the hospital this week, perfectly timed with Madoka's 40th birthday.  So far it's been a good year |
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