During a video call across the country with friends I haven’t physically seen in years now, I asked the question “what’s the least notable or noticeable thing in your room?” I was curious how people evaluate and notice their own personal spaces and also curious what narratives surrounded these seemingly unimportant items. Perhaps these seemingly insignificant things could carry more meaning than at first glance. My friend responded that her desks and clothes clutter was the most unremarkable thing in her space. I was intrigued that her answer was both a single thing entity and a collection of individual items…
How do objects make meaningful impressions in our lives?
My Old Chuck-Taylor Hi’s (in white)
This past weekend, I was washing my white Chuck-Taylor Hi’s after being in the dirt. They had basically blackened, requiring me to vigorously wash them; something that I go through the trouble of every few months. I’ve had these shoes since high school and they’ve remained an enjoyable staple in my wardrobe since then so it was a huge bummer after cleaning them to see that these shoes are in fact on the last leg of their journey:
Intro
Born 1958 Tokyo
Graphic designer, curator, professor at Musashino Art University, and art director at Muji, Kenya Hara has garnered recognition for his design work in identification and communication. After graduating in 1983 with a graduate degree from the university where he now teaches, Hara has lead and participated in a variety of design projects. He has represented Japan in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics by creating the opening and closing programs and even submitted proposals for Japan’s next summer Olympics in 2020. Beyond a graphic designer, Hara is know as one of Japan’s leading thinkers and philosophers of contemporary…
