Bang Lang

In the early summer of 2023, as the heavy atmosphere of the pandemic began to fade, I visited Hong Kong Island. The humidity, the smells, and the eclectic mix of buildings of varying ages and sizes strongly impressed upon me the feeling of being away from Japan for the first time in a while. One of the most striking elements was the bamboo scaffolding seen throughout the city. Due to factors such as high humidity that causes iron to rust easily, cost efficiency, lightness, and ease of disposal, bamboo scaffolding is still widely used on many buildings in Hong Kong. The flexible, lightweight structure of the bamboo seemed to embody a fusion of natural materials and urban energy.

Bang Lang is a reconstruction of the memory of Hong Kong’s bamboo scaffolding, translated into a furniture scale. The frame is built by tying bamboo with paper cord and solidifying the joints with lacquer. Lacquer is known as a traditional Japanese finishing material, but it also serves as a strong adhesive. Its curing process requires specific levels of humidity and temperature; a "lacquer bath" maintains 70% to 85% humidity and a temperature range of 20°C to 30°C, conditions that closely resemble Hong Kong’s climate. In this serendipitous similarity, I found a moment where two cultures intersected unintentionally. Drawing on my experience of reconnecting with different cultures after the pandemic, this series aims to express the dynamism of the city on a smaller scale using natural materials like bamboo and lacquer.