Cover Nendo’s Clustered Clouds depicting volume creation through emptiness, by means of perforated stainless steel shelf systems
Nendo’s Clustered Clouds depicting volume creation through emptiness, by means of perforated stainless steel shelf systems
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Japanese design studio Nendo’s returned to Milan Design Week for the 20th time with a whimsically poetic solo exhibition at Paola Lenti
Milan Design Week simply isn’t complete without an exhibition by Nendo. Celebrated for its delightfully whimsical yet profoundly thoughtful creations, the multidisciplinary Japanese design studio returned to Milan in April with a solo exhibition at Italian furniture and textile brand Paolo Lenti’s compound in the north of the city.
Occupying an abandoned multi-storey building within the 43,055 sq ft former industrial complex, the exhibition presents five collections inspired by what Nendo frontman Oki Sato described as “whispers of nature”—transient natural phenomena that fascinate and inspire—which became the exhibition’s title.
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Nendo: Whispers of Nature
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Whispers of Nature presented five installations of objects that sit comfortably between furniture and objet d’art.
Passing Rain aimed to capture the ephemeral beauty of drizzling rain the moment before the weather cleared with five sculptural containers supported by 2 mm-diameter stainless steel stems.
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Above Housed within Paolo Lenti’s Northern Milan compound, Nendo’s Whispers of Nature comprised five collections encapsulating transient and fascinating natural phenomena
Above Passing Rain, an artful interpretation of drizzling rain before ushering in clearer skies
Housed within Paolo Lenti’s Northern Milan compound, Nendo’s Whispers of Nature comprised five collections encapsulating transient and fascinating natural phenomena
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Inspired by dispersing clouds, Clustered Clouds comprised a series of cleverly perforated stainless steel shelf systems, which appeared to create volume from emptiness and, thus, evoked the essence of clouds.
Pond Dipping is a series of six carpets with varying geometric patterns that were direct results of the dipping angle and the thickness of spools used to weave them, drawing inspiration from the traditional Japanese resist dyeing technique.
Above Pond Dipping is made up of six carpets with varied geometric patterns
Pond Dipping is made up of six carpets with varied geometric patterns
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An artful spin of terrazzo, Depth of Soil comprised a family of small tables and chairs adorned with laser-cut acrylic fragments that represented the accumulation of time. Light and Shade, meanwhile, explored the interchangeability of moulds and casts in contrasting translucent black and matte white.
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Depth of Soil comprised acrylic-flecked tables and chairs that creatively portrayed the passage of time
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Marvelling at these creations, it’s clear that even after its 20th showings in Milan, Nendo hasn’t lost its magical touch.
Credits
Photography: Hiroki Tagma
Jakarta-born, Bandung-raised and Singapore-based, Asih Jenie trained in Visual Communication Design at Bandung Institute of Technology and Architecture at Parahyangan Catholic University. She brings both rigour and heart to design journalism, infused with a distinct Southeast Asian voice.
As a child, she doodled on the edges of her schoolbooks and never outgrew her fascination with all things well-made and well-told. Her 15-year career spans editorial roles and bylines in Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Australia, across spatial design titles such as Dwell Asia, Cubes, Design Anthology, Habitus Living, and Home & Decor.
After a brief stint in public relations, she returned to publishing in 2023 to lead Tatler Homes Singapore, where she continues to tell stories about how we shape the spaces that shape us.
