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march 31, 2016 - Nendo

“50 MANGA CHAIRS” by Nendo: a collaboration with Friedman Benda Gallery, New York

Manga is a means of expression with a high degree of flatness and abstraction, and which is composed of a series of lines.

We could say that #manga comics are deeply rooted in Japanese culture, since they can be traced back to Ukiyoe prints

developed during the Edo period (1603-1868 A.D.). 

This installation of 50 #manga chairs is the result of adapting the strong symbolic nature of #manga comics to furniture #design.

Manga consist of a series of frames on a single sheet of paper that creates a sequence. Similarly, 50 standard chairs are lined up in a grid, each one conjures up a sense of story, and each with a #design element from #manga. For example, a “speech bubble” or “effect line” are added to visualize sound or action. Or emotional symbols from #manga, like “sweat” or “tears”, are formed so that a sense of story and character can be felt.

With the abstraction of #manga comics in mind, physical aspects such as colour and texture are intentionally avoided as much as possible.

Instead, a complete mirror finish is opted for, which generates new spatial layers as the mirror surface reflects the real world, just like #manga does.

 

Photo by Kenichi Sonehara