Autodesk Gallery Exhibit: Pioneering technology meets ancient craft

The Autodesk Gallery at One Market in San Francisco celebrates design — the process of taking a great idea and turning it into a reality. With more than 20 different exhibits regularly on display that showcase the innovative work of Autodesk customers, the gallery illustrates the role technology plays in great design and engineering. I am one of about 80 gallery ambassadors. As I have mentioned before, we chose the job title "ambassador" instead of "docent," because the correct way to address an ambassador is "your excellency" yet this never happens.

One of the more recent exhibits in the gallery is Pioneering technology meets ancient craft.

People:

• Kabuku // more
• Kaori Akiyama // more
• Hiroaki Nishimura // more

Software:

• Autodesk Fusion 360 // more
• MODO
• Rhinoceros
• Grasshopper

Kabuki theatre, from 17^th century Japan, is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuku is a small design firm located in Tokyo that models itself on Kabuki theater. Kabuku designs marry traditional craftsmanship with digital fabrication technology to create wholly unique objects that will one day become classics in their own right. Kabuku designs are both dramatic and elaborate.

The exhibit consists of several beautiful objects.

• The clear, 3D-printed katana knife case allows the blade's craftsmanship to be highlighted without having to remove it.

  

  The clear case includes etched white lines that highlight the detailed craftsmanship in the blade.

• Jewelry creators combined 3D printing with a traditional indigo dyeing process to produce pieces inspired by the sky after a rainstorm.

  

• Classic Japanese patterns can be combined with 3D printing and lacquer to produce mirror accents.

  

• Tableware, best appreciated under low light, showcases how the materials blend from translucent to opaque. It’s a new take on what is traditionally very ordinary.

  

• Hybrid drinking vessels were 3D printed using multiple materials of metal and plastic. The pieces were then hand-finished, elevating the act of refreshment to an art form.

  

This exhibit is truly an instance of new technology paying homage to ancient craft.

The Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco is open to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. There is a guided tour on Wednesdays at 12:30 pm. Admission is free. Visit us.

Craftsmanship through technology is alive in the lab.