Akiko Hayashi "Garden" Vases 2021

The fresh and vibrant sensation of clear glass filled with water. These flower vases, designed to be most alluring when filled with water and brought to life with plants, can bring a beautiful “inner garden” to a space by arranging shapes of differing sizes. Akiko Hayashi handles every step of the glass-making process, from designing to manufacturing, on her own at her glassworks studio in Gifu prefecture. Her designs exude an industrial atmosphere for their simplicity and minimalism, and are made with careful attention to detail and a high level of skill. “Qualia,” which is also the name of her studio, is a term in cognitive psychology denoting “qualities” as felt by the mind, and the quality of that “just right feeling” she aims for can best be felt by actually holding her works and using them in day-to-day life.

Misa Kuromoto, GALLERY crossing