Caran d'Ache presents its collaboration with famed architect Kengo Kuma
When the master craftsmen of the Maison Caran d'Ache meet the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, it gives life to a unique and highly sophisticated writing instrument, combining noble and natural materials. Much more than a writing instrument, this is a rare object where the Japanese delicate work of art and the expertise of the Geneva-based Maison Caran d'Ache perfectly intertwine.
Which architectural gesture leads to Haute Ecriture?
The Maison has always considered each of its creations as an exclusive aesthetic experience to be enjoyed to the fullest, but also as a creative and collaborative dynamic, of which the Varius collection is one of the emblems. So what could be more natural than having both Caran d'Ache and the architect Kengo Kuma collaborate on an exceptional new limited edition? This latest creation explores Kengo Kuma's conception of architecture, which is an exciting tribute to the future, nature and ancestral knowledge. Much more than a writing instrument, the Varius Kengo Kuma is a rare object in which the Japanese delicate work of art and the ancient knowledge of the Geneva Maison's master craftsmen fit together perfectly.
The Art of Calligraphy in Space
Combining steel and wood, his favourite materials, Kengo Kuma's architectural writing is pure wonder. In these aerial structures that defy gravity reads the philosophy of an artist favouring an architecture based on respect for culture and the environment.
The creative encounter between Kengo Kuma and the Maison Caran d'Ache already existed behind the scenes. The architect, who today designs space in calligraphy, vividly remembers the pencils of his childhood. Since then, beautiful writing and drawing have been the spontaneous vectors of the artist's emotions and gestures and are at the heart of his practice.
I see architecture as a kind of music. Music inherently links up to the inner rhythm of the body and handwriting is the best way to express it. When I write, I connect to the rhythm of architecture.
When Kengo Kuma re-interprets the Varius, the matter comes to life.
Evoking the Japanese architect's most famous creations on a miniature scale, the Varius Kengo Kuma created by Caran d'Ache's master craftsmen complements the Maison's elegant and contemporary universe.
Precious, airy and virtuoso, its design is completely new to Caran d'Ache, inspired by the "chidori", a traditional Japanese toy based on the ingenious interlocking of pieces of wood, a recurring motif in Kengo Kuma's light ridden creations.
Like a symbol of the encounter between the Swiss Made high technicality of the Maison Caran d'Ache and Japanese culture, the Varius Kengo Kuma invites you to enter into Haute Ecriture as one might enter into meditation in a zen garden.
As incomparable to the eye as to the touch, this singular and unique creation combines the fluidity of its lines with the softness of the rare and precious materials that compose it. Sculpted with extreme delicacy by the craftsmen of Caran d'Ache in the prestigious and sacred wood of Hinoki Cypress, the body of the instrument is engraved at different depths creating a delicate superimposition for a perfect grip and refined touch.
The daring contrast in texture and colour between the blond of the polished wood and the brilliance of the silver-rhodium-plated attributes, as well as the artist's stamped signature, complete this exceptional new edition. The Varius Kengo Kuma is enclosed in a spectacular wooden veneer case inspired by the colour of the pen's body.
The Caran d'Ache writing instruments that I discovered when I was in college allow me to draw clear and precise lines and express the rhythm of architecture with fluidity.