Bijin Davis creates products to convey sensory and emotional experiences
Our Next Generation Show 2022 highlights 22 distinguished alumni from around the world, in seven creative fields. Here, we profile Japanese/Indian designer Bijen Davis, a graduate of Musashino University of Art in Tokyo
Born in Japan and raised in India, Bijen Davis completed her undergraduate diploma from Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology in 2015 and worked as a furniture designer for a few years before moving to Tokyo to study interior design at Musashino University of Art. Her work includes minimalist-inspired furniture and lighting resulting from explorations of light, water, shadows, and natural phenomena. “We treat furniture or products in a space away from people, so how do we make it more interesting? Just imagine the possibilities,” she says.
Movable shelves designed by Bijin Davis
Davis’ graduation project, a series of “mobile shelves,” is the result of her desire to “create products with a sensory or emotional experience, not just static works.” “The experience and pleasure from interacting with the products becomes her job, along with her specific job,” she adds.
Her white bookcase design is brought to life by the interplay of the elements, with each shelf featuring a neon pink or yellow stripe on one edge, mirrored by the surface below. This concept refers to what Beijing calls the “cultural desire to interact,” since the project, she explains, was created as a result of life in isolation. For a fleeting moment, Davis says, “it tells the story of what life is like in solitude, but what it feels like brighter in good company.”
The shelves are made of aluminum composite panel and tubes, and the manufacturing process includes welding, waterjet cutting and spray painting to achieve distinctive neon colors. The bright colors give the illusion that each shelf is filled with light, but the resulting bright shadows come from the reflection alone.
Bijin installed the shelves with ball wheels to help the user easily push the product. She wanted to make the user feel amazed by the sliding motion.
From India to Japan: Creating Between Cultures
Her upbringing between India and Japan certainly had an influence on Davis’ approach to design, but she didn’t immediately cast her as an opportunity. Growing up between my Indian parents and my Japanese mom in India definitely made me confused when I was young, I felt like I couldn’t quite fit in. I’ve seen myself half of two cultures, not all at all. “But my mother once said to me, ‘You’re not half, you’re double.’ And it struck a chord with me.
Working in design has given Davies the opportunity to explore both cultures, approaches to life, and aesthetics through her work. “Growing up in India, it was a world full of color and elaborate design: I was impressed by the shiny stuff, colorful prints, patterns, and handcrafted products,” she notes. “In Japan, it was a world of simplicity and innovative designs: it made me pay attention to small details and prioritize craft material and technique, and explore new materials or creatively use familiar materials.”
Davis’ work bears marks of this duality, with hints of color and attention to the literal aspect of her pieces. “I learned the value of collectivism from India and innovation from Japan, which helped me find a balance to create a ‘passing moment’.
Dream Collaborators: Sabine Marcelis, Nendo, We+, Raw-Edges, Nada Debs, Studio Olafur Eliasson, Hem, Ambientec, Hiroomi Tahara. Finally, my wonderful teachers Yamanaka Kazuhiro (Yamanaka Kazuhiro’s office) and Ito Shinichi. §