GALAXY NECKLACE 1404

Hello. I'm HIROYA, a Washi artist. Today I would like to talk about a necklace that has been a long seller since I started making Washi paper accessories.

We have been developing Washi paper accessories since around 2011.

We completed our original coating exclusively for safe use in daily life, and started in December 2013 in a small 6-tatami mat studio (we were initially working under the brand name ARATA).

And here is the fourth necklace I made in 2014.

I think I didn't even know the word "branding" when I first started my brand (looking back on it now, there were many factors that made it impossible to sell at that time). I don't know if I'm as good or worse than others, but I've gone through a lot of twists and turns, and here I am.

It has grown to become one of my representative works, and even after seven years, it is still fresh and exciting to me.

Even now, the design and price have not changed at all. I really want to make them more expensive because they are too cheap, but when I see the faces of customers who are happy with the price, I cannot raise the price.

This necklace is called a galaxy necklace, and is arranged with silver foil baked to resemble the flow of a galaxy.

In the same way that people don't change their personalities very often, I wonder if the things they like at their core don't change either. I've always loved space and mysterious events. I have always loved space and mysterious events, and now I feel that my love for these things is being amplified every day.

When I read a newspaper article about astronaut Noguchi's return from space, I couldn't help but want to meet him and hear his story.

I'm sure that knowing about the real universe, rather than just thinking about it, will change the way you create and express yourself. Even just going to the neighborhood park with my daughter and looking at things from a toddler's point of view, there is always something to discover. I think my little brain might explode from all the discoveries I make just by visiting space, Japan and other countries I have never been to.

Now, I mentioned earlier that I use burnt silver leaf, but those are usually called burnt foil. Silver tarnishes with age, doesn't it? This process is done by fumigating it with sulfur or chemicals to make it tarnish on purpose. The color and pattern of the discoloration is left up to nature.

According to what I heard from the craftsman, in the past, silver leaf was mixed with various impurities when it was made. Nowadays, technology has improved and silver leaf can be made very beautifully. However, the colors and patterns of the silver leaf were important because the impurities had a positive effect. Nowadays, silver leaf is made with high precision, so it is not suitable for yakihaku.



Since we use such a baked foil, the colors are generally the same, but the patterns are all different. This is one of the factors that add to the interest.

I've been wearing the same washi earrings since August 2019, so I certainly agree. I wear it all the time except when I take a bath (but sometimes I forget to take it off), and of course when I go to bed. It's so light that it feels like I'm not wearing anything at all, so I don't feel any discomfort. As I write this, I am reminded of how important it is to not get tired.

So that was the story of my memorable necklace.