"There I sense something" is a collection of works by product designer Yumi Terauchi that introduces the background of her products, works, and traditional crafts through beautiful photographs by photographer Yoshitaka Koshigaya. The collection won the top prize in the 25th Japan Self-Publishing Culture Awards.
This project began with Yumi Terauchi's desire to create a book that was like art, without any words and that you could look at the photographs like you were going on a journey.
A sewn-in binding method in which the open pocket-like pages are bound facing up.
I learned from the Japanese custom of wrapping gifts properly and sewing envelopes with the top facing up to "attract good fortune."
The explanation is printed on the back of the book.
Its objet d'art appearance naturally links with Terauchi's work itself, quietly stimulating the viewer's five senses.
The photographs, taken over 3,000 km with photographer Yoshitaka Koshigaya, are intended to allow visitors to touch and feel the charm of the artisans' handiwork, which uses a variety of materials nurtured in the Japanese countryside, including bamboo, wood, glass, tin, washi paper, and earth.
From the preface of "There I sense something" : "When I come into contact with and learn the essence of something through the making of something, I feel a deep emotion that I cannot describe. Driven by this emotion, I continue to create works that project the senses we need now, and that I hope will continue to be beautiful in the future. And while I respect tradition and custom, I place importance on capturing the essence - something that is there - without being bound by them."
Yumi Terauchi Product Designer
Production Planning: Terauchi Yumi Project Editing: Matsuura Masako Photography: Koshigaya Yoshitaka Book design: Miyazoe Koji English translation: Coco Masuda Printing and binding: Hakko Bijutsu Co., Ltd.
[Author profile: Yumi Terauchi]
Creative Director Designer
Born in 1967. Representative of TERAUCHI DESIGN OFFICE Co., Ltd.
Active in the fields of design, direction and contemporary art.
He specializes in consistent and multifaceted creative work to establish a brand's identity.
They place importance on capturing the essence - something that is there - and create products that value nature, scenery, and Japanese aesthetic sense.
He has a deep knowledge of Japanese handicrafts and has launched new business models that combine Japanese culture with modern lifestyles. In product design, he is involved in both traditional and handmade crafts, and has won numerous design awards, including the Good Design Award and Germany's Red Dot Award.
