Sharpener: Nanako Kume creates pendant light made from giant wood shavings

Childhood wonder knows no boundaries when it comes to finding bliss. Don’t we all reminisce about being completely mesmerised by bubbles wafting in the air, or the moon tirelessly chasing the cloud cars? If one looks at life through the eyes of a child, there is delight in every nook and cranny. A nostalgia-inducing memory includes sharpening a pencil, collecting its colourful shavings, and turning it into an artwork. Those carefully shaved scrapes—which were once deemed waste—are all one needs to create a masterpiece. Injecting this nostalgia into her work, Japanese designer Nanako Kume creates ‘Sharpener’, a wooden pendant lighting crafted from wood shavings. “From an early age, I was fascinated by the shape and transience of the shavings produced when sharpening pencils. Since it was small and fragile, I thought I had no choice but to throw it away,” shares Nanako Kume. “I thought that I could create new value while preserving the beauty of the form by enlarging them,” she adds.

The project was designed this year as Kume’s graduation work for the Musashino Art University in Tokyo. The lighting design features a lampshade created out of wood, carved to resemble a pencil. The piece of wood is sharpened using a large-scale sharpener made especially for this project. The giant sharpener resembles a regular pencil sharpener in construction and function. Wood blocks of various shapes and profiles are inserted into the sharpener to produce an array of shavings. Similar to a pencil, one wood block can produce multiple shavings and lampshades. The silhouettes and details of the lampshades—no two being the same—vary according to the species, colours, and profiles of the wood used. Since the shades are single-handedly carved out, each bears a unique form.

The design process begins with the designer softening the wood blocks in a steamer to make them flexible and ensure the creation of thin but firm layers during shaving. Kume dyes the wood blocks in bright colours, evocative of coloured pencils. The next step involves passing the blocks through the large machine she calls “a giant pencil sharpener”. The sharpener is then used to create colourful wood shavings by rotating the inserted piece of wood in it. As a final product, these are sturdy layers of bendable fragments of wood that are formed as they dry. A crucial element that needs utmost attention during this process is adjusting the angle and position of the sharpening blade to get a good shaving. “Sharpener is my startup project. In addition to improving it, I’ll also develop other products in the future because I like to create something with my own hands,” shares the product designer.

Design can be defined in countless ways. For some it is a solution, a response to a problem. But, for other contemporary designers like Nanako Kume, design is an approach that is more nostalgic and dreamlike. The delightful series of wooden pendant lights poses as a realisation of a childhood dream, epitomising the innocence and wonder that characterise it. These dainty pendant lamps, when hung from the ceiling, can introduce a unique charm to a dwelling. Despite the whimsical concept and design, the product design strikes a balance with unique techniques, craftsmanship, and attention-to-detail. With each design being singular owing to variations in shapes, sizes, colours, and even time of shaving, Sharpener is a reminder of the wholeness and impact of simplicity.