Anima is a sequel to Food Waste Ware (2013), which was a project documenting food waste produced locally in London and making tableware out of it. The above black vessels are made out of food waste the same as the previous work, but with addition of Urushi (Japanese lacquer).

 

Food is not a thing but life. We eat life for our existence. However, for lack of appreciation, we 'consume' life at a huge industrial scale as well as a small domestic scale, disposing of it in landfills.

​

While developing this project, Kosuke kept a record of amounts of food waste produced from his house for two years. It only includes non-edible parts of food, such as rind, peel, calyxes, shells and bones, and the total amount was approximately 315kg.

​

Made into powdery state, food waste is combined with urushi and moulded. The use of urushi is crucial to make it usable and cherishable, giving it practical strength, waterproofness, anti-bacterial effect as well as sheen.

​

Historically, Urushi craft has a close relationship with food. For example, rice, tofu or albumen is mixed to increase viscosity of Urushi, and the mixture is then used as sticky glue or for creating texture on the surface of a lacquered object. Probably, remnants of meals were utilised in old time. Kosuke revisits this food-related aspect in a contemporary context, making the collection entirely from wasted food.

​

Reincarnating wasted lives in new forms in tribute to them, this project shows even what is often regarded as 'ugly' can be turned into something beautiful and precious. Kosuke hopes this project serves an opportunity of reflecting your habits of daily consumption. 

​

Would serving food on these tableware help you to be re-aware of what you are eating is 'life'? 

​​

​-

Concept, Design, Research and Development, Production: Kosuke Araki

​Photography: Kosuke Araki

​

-

This project and Food Waste Ware were on show in the exhibition, Food Revolution 5.0 - Design for the Society of Tomorrow, held at Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Applied Arts) in Berlin, Germany and at Gewerbemuseum Winterthur in Switzerland.

​

-

​Nominated for the Homeware Design category of Dezeen Awards 2018.