LUXURY FURNITURE
20 Characters, Japanese
Calligraphy-Inspired Furniture
SABI by Sabina Blasiotti
London-based Italian architectural design studio, SABI by Sabina
Blasiotti, has envisioned a collection of living room furniture called
Characters. The collection is informed by Japanese calligraphy, but
each piece possesses its own expressional character.

The Characters collection consists of a family of chairs, a table, a
coffee table, a cupboard, a bookshelf, a sofa, mirrors, lamps, picture
frames, and vases. Each piece is crafted from carved and burnt cedar
wood, except for the lamps and the mirror, which include additional
metals for the movable lamps’ heads and the mirror finish.

The sculpted cedar wood is burnt on the surface to obtain a
superficial layer of carbon that allows for more sustainable
preservation of the timber when compared to wood oils and paints.

Furthermore, the charred finish provides the furniture with a black
look, reminiscent of the black ink characters of calligraphy.

Characters is intended to address the self-expression of skilled
workers, providing an opportunity to create bespoke sculptures
with fluid execution and wood carving tools. In return, each piece of
furniture allows its maker’s temperament and confidence to be visibly
expressed in their work.

Sabina describes the living room collection as well-rounded and
multifaceted, suiting a range of environments from private living
rooms to retail, office spaces, and hospitality premises. Each
“character” is intended to stand alone, as well as to be combined with
other collections’ pieces to create larger spatial compositions.

“The embodiment of self-expression in design and architecture is
very important to me,” said the creator, Sabina Blasiotti. “I’ve always
been fascinated by Japanese calligraphy as an exhibition of the
calligrapher at a moment of time producing artistic pieces that look
alive. Likewise, I conceived the Characters collection as a personal
expression at a moment in time, with each piece of furniture designed
after a unique series of quick sketches that haven’t been further
edited or corrected. With this method, I wanted the furniture to
showcase personality, as well as imperfections, and to bring life and
expression inside living spaces. As a result, Characters seem to have
their own conscious life, being familiar to me, but also strangers. They
keep changing and revealing ineffable silhouettes as you move and
rotate around them, and they are unpredictable as they play with light
and shadows through the days and through the seasons.”
Contact: info@sabinablasiotti.com
Images: SABI by Sabina Blasiotti