In 2023, G-Star RAW launched its art platform The Art of RAW, where young creatives show the endless possibilities of denim by creating art objects out of denim waste. After collaborating with various international design talents, the brand has now worked with Japanese designer Kodai Iwamoto. Inspired by the historical connection between the Dutch and Japanese, Iwamoto created a lamp made from traditional washi paper and infused with denim waste fibers.
East meets west
During the 19th century, pieces of paper traveled from Japan to the Netherlands, mostly used as packaging material to wrap ceramics. The unfamiliar composition and color scheme of these Ukiyo-e prints were the inspiration behind the work of artists like Vincent van Gogh. Kodai Iwamoto used the charm of the paper material as the starting point for his art object.
Iwamoto infused the washi paper with denim fibers crafted by Japanese factory Igarashi Seishi to create a brand-new material, titled ‘UNERI”. The lightning object is inspired by Shoji, traditional Japanese doors from a circular wooden frame, lattice-like framework and washi paper. This modern interpretation fuses traditional craftmanship with contemporary design. The object’s Japanese name translates to “swelling ocean waves,” because of the way the denim fibers look when mixed into the liquid paper.
Japanese design talent
Kodai Iwamoto (Japan, 1990) studied Product Design at Kobe Design University and École cantonale d’art de Lausanne in Switzerland. Based in Tokyo and the Kagoshima prefecture, Iwamoto runs his own studio, where he focuses on bringing together contradictions like mass production and craftsmanship, eastern and western culture, product design and traditional art. The designer has won multiple awards, including the Young Japanese Design Talent Award by ELLE Décor Japan and Rising Talents Award 2022 by Maison & Objet.
Johanna Seeleman (1990) is seen as the biggest upcoming talent in contemporary design. With her five-piece office furniture series ‘Potentials’, consisting of a room divider, floor mat, leaning bench, low stool and valet stand, the German designer used untreated leftover denim. The material’s qualities, such as stability and texture, span beyond the clothing context – making it ideal for furniture. This design series won the Premiere Classe 2023 x Eyes on Talents Prize.
Nienke Sikkema (1988) is a renowned designer working closely together with the revolutionary Dutch glass artist Bernard Heesen. For ‘The Art of RAW,’ Sikkema took inspiration from the Delfts Blauw earthenware, basing her glass designs on its iconic shapes and colors. After creating a mould using
staple details of G-Star jeans – like pockets and zipper – the designer produced a trilogy of vases named ‘Blown In Blue.’
Greek designer Athena Gronti (1993) chose to create a large quilt named ‘Ariadne’s Thread’. From rough areas to soft and intricate stitching and abstract shapes, the large art piece aims to bring together the sociologic paradoxes of denim.
Lenny Stöpp (1994) produced the furniture series ‘Fluff Stacks’, consisting of a side table, stool and lamp. The multidisciplinary artist invented his own denim recipe by mixing water, starch and denim pieces in an industrial pulp machine to create a brand new material.
Iwan Pol (1988) is renowned for his work with the most used material in the world: concrete. So, it is no surprise the multi-disciplinary designer chose to experiment with denim and concrete. Combining concrete with indigo pigment, Pol used this mixture to capture stills of the denim waste fabric. The result is ‘Rockin’ Denim’: a trilogy of objects that showcase the different movements of denim.
Pien Post (1996) is fascinated with symbols, materials and objects. Inspired by G-Star’s archive runway pieces, she created a series of seven denim flags, ‘Waving the Denim Flag’. Exploring the concept of unity through flags and denim, each piece features its own technical experiment. From laser-cutting and heat press printing to weaving and quilting.
Textile designer and researcher Milou Voorwinden (1990) is driven by innovation and discovery, reimagining denim through recycled yarns. Using a jacquard loom, the PhD candidate reconnected with G-Star’s industrial past and created her art piece, ‘Warping Twills’. Constantly reinventing traditional techniques, the designer has worked with sustainable 3D weaving.
