Reflective Furniture Becomes Nearly Invisible in a Room
Most of us use our furniture as a focal point of our homes, but Takeshi Miyakawa‘s Visible/Invisible reflective furniture series actually seeks to blend into its surroundings. Mirror-finished acrylic is used to create furniture that reflects the room it is in.
The reflections that bounce off of the acrylic surfaces are not simply exact reproductions of the furniture’s surroundings. The tables and chairs are bent with heat during the production process to create crackles, wrinkles and visually fascinating little folds.
Although they are perhaps more art than furniture, the Visible/Invisible series of objects are a fascinating look at the interaction between an object, its material and the space it occupies. Every Visible/Invisible piece would look completely different in every different room in which it sits.
The collection contains both “pure” and “distorted” pieces; for the latter, Miyakawa used heat guns to melt the acrylic, warping the shape of the furniture and creating cracks. This changes the reflective qualities of the surfaces, making them more dynamic and surreal.
About Takeshi Miyakawa
“Takeshi Miyakawa is an artist and designer based in Brooklyn, New York. Born and educated in Tokyo, Japan, Takeshi began his career in construction for Toyo Construction Corp in 1985 after architecture school. In 1989, he moved to New York City, working as a cabinet maker for Stephen Rohner Furniture. Soon after, in 1992, he began making architectural models for Rafael Vinoly Architects until 2017.”
“Throughout his extensive and varied experience in design and fabrication, his personal works often resonate his education in architecture, as well as an affinity for abstracting nature. His profession as a model-maker has instructed his tactile approach to furniture and form making. Today, Takeshi Miyakawa Design continues a lifetime of experience in art, construction, and architecture, building custom specialty millwork for commercial and residential spaces, as well as his personal art and furniture pieces.”
