I designed this product for the SVA Made in Yame program, which was created in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art Store. I traveled to Yame, a small town in Japan known for its traditionally trained craft masters. Along with a delegation of designers, we visited the studios of over a dozen artisans.

The objective was to design products that showcased the craftsmen's skills while being suitable for distribution across MoMA's wholesale and retail channels.

I sketched this product in Japan after observing the lacquer process in an artisan’s studio. In his adjacent shop, pendants he had decorated with a unique pattern reminded me of a psychedelic take on the traditional U.S. composition notebook often carried by children.

I coordinated its production with the artisan. Although it wasn’t selected for production by the Museum of Modern Art Store, an exciting consolation came when the town museum chose it for a touring exhibit about the intersection of traditional craft and modern design. It is now on permanent display at the museum.