Eiji Hiyama

These days, After the recent catastrophic events, I thought a lot if it was appropriate to talk of Japan in light-hearted and playful limits. The original title of this post was “A world of cardboard” inspired by the name chosen by master Hiyama… I felt a bit out of place given that, in my head, this phrase refers to loop the image of the black tide that sweeps away homes, car and fields. I just want to be respectful.

I still think the exceptional composure of this people and its extraordinary ability to adapt to nature and planned an existence of respect. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that too and the best way to do it, for me, is to highlight the excellent.

Mr. Hiyama has created an empire about cardboard… Sure, ye, It will be a little unstable considered material… but no! He is the founder of World of Cardboard, and in fact on their website homepage is a nice picture full of kids who play the scene doing portends what we're talking about. You can build a lifetime all in this way? You can build a business only with paper recycled and creativity? The question is not as obvious as it seems, If you think about several personalities from the world of design they founded their business, maybe niche, on unconventional materials.

Maybe, with time running, specialize in a field little explored or iron on ’ use of a particular material is exactly the right answer, for those who want to start a new business and make it profitable.

Get back to us we keep talking about Japan and cardboard and undertaking Eiji Hiyama. I admit that the info on this nice Japanese ladies are also from the web because, for what I am concerned, I still haven't learned to read Japanese ideographs and then collect impressions on his official website is almost impossible. But do not despair because we can still come to head in a more than satisfactory.

The toys children are his first passion and reason for life, It seems that in some 30 yearsi of honorable career has produced playful fully recyclable material for hundreds of kids, animals are beautiful the colored corrugated cardboard who stand first on his list of works. My favorite is definitely the Penguin with the tuba, That's how I imagine Rupert & Jackie my two gay penguins adopted at Christmas!!! ;T

However, as you can see, he is corrugated strips various colors (mainly natural colours) that roll up on themselves give rise to different forms and zany characters very stylized but I must say that I we have yet to figure out how to face to hold all, for sure there is some glue but it would be nice to discover that work to joint? Nothing glue and fully recyclable?

Also in this case the added value lurks around the corner, the interesting question is not so much the fact that Hiyama use cardboard, that recycles and produces items (ultimately very eco-kawaii) Why do so many and often without the cardboard. The interesting fact is that it doesn't just think about the small but expands and moves its radius of interest even on complicated projects that require more commitment in terms of both production design.

See, for example, the small little house with a pitched roof and Windows, definitely must bear the burden of playing hard and demanding a little housewife who tries to cook spaghetti with pongo… or the most beautiful (…and also to play) the giant Triceratops from snout to tail explore, complete with a ladder for access. Certainly between pyramids to climb, big stylized forms and slides from prehistoric dinosaurs children don't get bored and the beauty is that even if the break or wear out with time, It shreds and recycles to create new types of cardboard to be given to Hiyama-san to invent something new.

Toys for children “Games for Adults” it's short step, in fact, several projects are product design they have involved: mainly watches but also lamps and eventually l ’ apotheosis with ’ furniture created for a small office.

In the article on cardboard seating had discussed the durability of the product but not on’infallibility the material applied to the typical product that suffers most weight and wear ’. C ’ is to say that as you can see in the tiny photo on his site, Hiyama uses the more resistant cardboard sheet (the coast, where you can see the ’ corrugation and the two flat sheets that surround) and strengthens with a structure able to withstand the weight of a person.

Once you have figured out the secret to make durable the material (of course only with l’intellect and cutter) try to reproduce objects and furniture becomes an increasingly compelling challenge.

Hiyama-San has also competed successfully in the production of jewelry simple design and high-impact products, as for toys, using the ’ use of strips of corrugated cardboard roll. Few but good.
However, in the end what remains is the value of the designer who finds himself perfectly in this wonderful gentleman mustache (with rolled-up bandana that makes both traditional craftsman) that instead of maintaining his privacy on his art he chooses to share his knowledge with anyone who requires, tant ’ it is true that it is not unusual to find us at the head of some workshop where he teaches, anyone want to try: children and adults, How to cut the cardboard safely or how to fold it to create their own toys. This gentleman I like, like designer and eco-warrior. This is her personal site.