Hyomen 表面 means ‘surface’ in Japanese and during Rasmus Fenhann’s internships in Japanese wood workshops, the word Hyomen was often used in discussions about the tactile and visual qualities of a surface.
The bench is inspired by a Japanese technique called ‘Naguri’, where identical recesses are cut with an axe to cover an entire surface. Only a few craftsmen in Japan are able to perform this difficult technique.
Always interested in exploring the possible dialogue between craftsmanship and high technologies, Rasmus Fenhann wanted to create a surface with similar tactile properties, using digital tools. Fenhann discovered that the hand-cut surface is actually formed by a hexagonal soap bubble geometry that occurs when a series of spherical cavities are adjacent to each other. This allowed me to create the spherical cavities of the hexagonal pattern by means of a CNC milling machine. Subsequently the entire surface is hand-polished several times with a curved scraper and a sanding block, giving the solid oak plank a tactile surface that subtly reflects the surrounding light.
Hyomen
2017
Oak
145 x 37 x 33 cm
Handmade by the artist
Limited edition of 8
Hyomen
2017
Oak
145 x 37 x 33 cm
Limited edition of 8
Hyomen
2017
Oak
145 x 37 x 33 cm
Limited edition of 8
Hyomen
2017
Oak
145 x 37 x 33 cm
Limited edition of 8
Hyomen
2017
Oak
145 x 37 x 33 cm
Limited edition of 8
Hyomen
2017
Oak
145 x 37 x 33 cm
Limited edition of 8
Hyomen
2017
Oak
145 x 37 x 33 cm
Limited edition of 8
Creating designs with an equal focus on sculptural and functional qualities, Rasmus Fenhann’s works are made in carefully selected natural materials, especially wood. He is considered as one of the most important Scandinavian designers today in the field of handmade art design. His working processes combines traditional, sometimes near-forgotten craft techniques with advanced high-tech procedures, including computer-based sketching and visualization. His painstakingly precise treatment of wood sur faces, ending up in a velvet-like, soft finish and with invisible joints, is the result of an extraordinary effort, which is both mental and physical. It is exquisite craftsmanship, close to the obsessive. In the words of the artist, “It has to do with being able to zoom in, infinitely… There mustn’t be any flaws, not even the tiniest, in the delicate woodwork. Time is key, and infinite repetition is expected until a level of breathtaking per fection is reached.”
Rasmus Fenhann has a double education from the Danish Royal Academy of Ar t and Design, Furniture Depar tment 1997-2003, and as a Cabinetmaker 1991-1996. He has frequently exhibited in Japan, Europe and in the United States, and his works are part of impor tant private and public collections including the permanent collection of the Designmuseum Danmark, Copenhagen, Denmark. Rasmus Fenhann has received several Prizes and awards such as the Danish Arts and Crafts Silver Medal, 2004; the Finn Juhl Prize, 2016 and most recently, the Inga & Ejvind Kold Christensen Prize in 2022.