【NEW SERIES】Trace of Strangers
— Giving Form to Someone's Memories from Somewhere
Crafted by hand, one by one, by my father, a plaster artisan, these limited edition works of 30 pieces each encapsulate the presence and memories of "someone" who may have once existed within plaster.
Aquvii's new series "Trace of Stranger's" is about to launch!
An Encounter with Something That Makes You Smile for No Reason
When traveling, you sometimes encounter things that, for some reason, catch your eye, or that you just can't get out of your mind. You might buy them under the guise of "sourcing," but then you can't put a price on them, or you just can't let them go...
What might be insignificant to one person can be precious to another. Wanting to give form to such an uncertain atmosphere, "Trace of Stranger's" began.
aq771 pot girl
A girl I found in one town, and a toy kettle I found in another. Before I knew it, the two merged and had been sitting in our living room for a long time.
aq772 border ear
An antique ear model for school teaching materials found at a market in the Netherlands. I walked back and forth to the booth many times, and finally got my favorite item after a little negotiation on the price.
aq773 gaze face
I brought this person home when I visited a flea market after hearing my French friend would be there. I immediately decided to buy it because of its exquisite size, which fit perfectly in my hand, and its indescribable facial features.
A Collaborative Work with My Father, a Plaster Artisan
I sent the original objects that would become the prototypes to my father, a plaster artisan who has created many Aquvii products with me before. He is a craftsman who has been involved in the restoration of the State Guest House and the Kabuki-za theater, among others.As usual, I received a bewildered message saying, "...What is this?" No, this time, the "what is this?" feeling was even stronger than usual.
Even so, after a few phone calls and images to convey the idea, he somehow managed to give it form. It turns out conveying the concept is surprisingly important. There's no instruction manual; it's a cycle of sending, discussing, getting samples, complaining, and being complained to.
1 Type, Limited to 30 Pieces
Plaster molds have a limit to the quantity they can produce.
Normally, Aquvii products are re-molded each time that limit is reached, but this time, we decided to leverage that "limit" by restricting each mold to 30 limited pieces.
Rather than increasing endlessly and becoming diluted, we hope that these 30 pieces will quietly spread out and become new memories for someone. Each work is individually numbered as proof.
A "Spice" for Your Space
In an era of much uncertainty, this work is created through reliable handcraft. We would be absolutely delighted if these pieces, purified through the Aquvii filter, could become objects that add a pleasant spice to your space.
