Coordination for Megumi Nishihara by Jackie & Partners

Megumi Nishihara of Tecnoform together with Jackie & Partners came up with an ingenious idea to pair two unlikely materials for the first time and made an impressive wall panel for a suite room in a Tokyo hotel. The suite is the most luxurious in the entire hotel, usually inhabited by dignitaries and celebrities. The uniqueness and never-been-done-before quality of this design is what intrigued the designer to use this panel art in the suite.

The floral design scatters shimmering glass pieces tastefully throughout the 1600 x 750 cm rectangle. The delicate layers of iridescent washi paired next to the perfectly cut mirror triangles is a combination that honours modernity and traditional art in an elegant and futuristic way.

Megumi is one of a growing number of Japanese artists who are finding new ways to incorporate hand-made, high-quality washi into modern spaces and life. This panel is just a glimpse of how she envisions the future of washi. The photographs below don't do justice to the richness and three dimensionality of her work. But, if you ask any washi artist or craftsman they will tell you that washi is alive, and that life cannot be captured by camera.