“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Saturday May 21st — —

I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Saturday May 21st — —

The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Saturday May 21st — —

HASAMI X HAKUDO

We discovered the inspirational creations of Berlin- and Tokyo-based olfactory platform AOIRO when they released the ceramic coal dripper set under their HAKUDO label, which comes in an incredible Powlownia wooden box. It was the elegant container that caught our attention in the first place, but what comes in the box, next to the scented woodwick candle that was released in the same series, forms a small but fine collection of remarkably well-balanced scented products. The scent of the HAKUDO line is inspired by the invisible layers of the mountain ground – the earthy and green-velvety moss, the soils that are rich in organic material, and the roots that distribute their lives deep beneath. Its profile offers dark and rich impression, dry and moist temperament with a hint of smokiness in the background.

Recently the German-Japanese brand introduced a perfect addition to the HAKUDO line with a remarkable new container for the scented candle: the Hasami Porcelain Edition. Created out of distinct Japanese Hasami porcelain (from the town of Hasami) the collaboration was formed in the pottery and atelier of porcelain craftsman Kyohei Baba after a visit by AOIRO founders Shizuko Yoshikuni and Manuel Kuschnig. The remarkable new container that resulted out of the dialogue that followed is directly based on the Yunomi cup, traditionally used in Japan to welcome guests and express gratitude when serving tea. An elegant and sophisticated gesture that is easily abandoned nowadays, which became the direct source of inspiration to breath new life into the almost forgotten item and revive the subtle yet contentment in the form of the scented candle.

This Hasami Porcelain Edition is created in a porcelain with a manganese saturated oil spot glaze. The temperature of the kiln decides the characteristic of irregular metallic shades and patterns of the surface, which gives each cup a very unique texture and personality. Its presence resonates with deep and smokey qualities of the Hakudo scent that also evokes various textures of earth and nature, and together they create a clear and tranquil mood.

All of the candles in the HASAMI X HAKUDO collaboration come in the familiar Paulownia wooden box, tailor-made and individually assembled by the hands of a master craftsman in Japan. The precious wood of Paulownia imperialis has been traditionally used to store acclaimed art objects and antiquities and here it will serve this purpose again. The marrying of the beautiful HAKUDO ingredients combined with the unique qualities of its new container will surely makes one enjoy the transcending quality of the HAKUDO scent and this special Hasami porcelain cup over a long time.

The Berlin- and Tokyo-based AOIRO Airddesign was named after ‘Aoiro’: the Japanese word for “the color of blue” (あお / ao = blue, いろ / iro = color). The blue as seen in the clear sky is the light gradient in the air, and it resonates with the approach of AOIRO Airdesign to create spaces more communicative through the air around us in everyday life. Japanese scent designer Shizuko Yoshikuni and Austrian communication designer Manuel Kuschnig, explore the world to source the highest and purest quality fragrant materials of botanical essences and to develop unique scent creations. Together they devote their passion in creating olfactory interpretations of concepts in the air, from bespoke olfactory projects, work from their Studio AOIRO and specifically their HAKUDO line of scented products.

As AOIRO, together they developed their own olfactory design strategy and a unique design process for olfactory identities, integrating the theoretical and practical backgrounds.

For the whole HAKUDO line see here

The HASAMI X HAKUDO candle is available at Qompendium