In focus with
In Focus with Daisuke Yamamoto
Daisuke Yamamoto, born and raised in Tokyo with a background in interior design and architecture, has focused his work on contemporary design and the relationship between object and architecture environment.
In 2022, he established DAISUKE YAMAMOTO DESIGN STUDIO, conducting activities with comprehensive design thinking with unlimited design spectrum. Through extended awareness, experimental and conceptual reconsideration of people, materials, technology, social environment, history, and aesthetics, the studio aims to blur the boundaries between art and function, pursuing design possibilities around people, objects, and social environment.
When are you the most creative?
When I take a step back and reconsider, a crucial part of my process is to re- observe what exists in front of my eyes - regardless of whether it’s physically visible or not. The process is about questioning what has become customary and force myself to see it from a different perspective.
What is your ambition in life?
I believe that my role as a designer is to share new perspectives with people around the world.
"The process is about questioning what has become customary and force myself to see it from a different perspective."
Favorite item or anything you collect?
“I love collecting books of all genres. I believe that the act of “reading between the lines” allows us to interact with experiences and stories that we may not know about ourselves.”
“Ironic, isn't it? I grew up alongside the problem of waste, which I think unconsciously influenced me of how I think and where I am today.”
A creative we should know about?
Paola Antonelli (@paolantonelli). Her latest exhibition, Broken nature: Design Takes on Human Survival, explores the threads that connect humans to their natural environments.
What is on your bucket list?
Open my studio in Europe. Go on a world tour exhibition. Publish a book.
Where would you take us to in Tokyo?
My personal recommendation is Yumenoshima (which means Dream Island in Japanese), which is where I was born and raised. Although the name “Dream Island” may sound utopic, it is actually an artificial island that was created by collecting and reclaiming Tokyo's waste from around 1950. Ironic, isn't it? It’s as though the problem of waste has subconsciously always been part of my life and has definitely influenced who I am today.
Another recommendation would be Shibuya, where our studio is located. Whilst it may appear as very superficial and very “Tokyo”, it’s an interesting place to visit just to see how the demolition and reconstruction are eccentrically progressing day by day.
Do you take any sustainable choices in your daily life?
“Absolutely. At the core, I believe in not throwing away what we already have. I don't know if this is a direct answer to sustainability, however, I feel it is a fundamental mindset.”
Anything you are kind of snobby about?
I like to always question whether something I want is something I need. I like to reflect about the luxury and satisfaction that exists within the act of acquiring something that is deemed “unnecessary”. I find this contradiction to be both human and destructive.
If you could open a museum what would it be filled with?
I would like to create an exhibition around the question of “Do we really need to throw that away?”. Explore the elements and materials that normally exist in our surroundings and daily life but that have not been collected or used because they had no value until now.
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