ISHINOMAKI LABORATORY

This exhibition explores the story behind Ishinomaki Laboratory, a Japanese DIY furniture workshop established in 2011. Ishinomaki Laboratory began as a community makerspace for residents in the city of Ishinomaki, which was devastated by the tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake five years ago.

Inspired from the challenge of maximising the shortage of resources – materials and professional skills – from the disaster, Ishinomaki Laboratory products are simple, yet functional and attractive. Three classic pieces will be exhibited, ranging from the “AA Stool” designed by the Japanese design studio Torafu Architects, London-based designer Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad’s “DINU”, to Keiji Ashizawa’s very own “Ishinomaki Stool”.

Through handcrafted goods, Ishinomaki Laboratory is confident that the spirit of DIY (do-it-yourself) and design have the power to move people and change their mindset. The hope is that people around the world can rediscover their own innate creativity, enriching life and society for a better future.