Kodai Iwamoto’s Blown Plastic Vases

Using traditional glass-blowing techniques, Japanese designer Kodai Iwamoto has created ‘Plastic Blowing’ — a collection of minimalist vases made out of recycled plastic.

Taking pipes previously used for plumbing, the Tokyo-based designer warms the PVC material for 20 minutes until it is soft and malleable. He then inserts the plastic into a wooden mold and begins to blow. The plastic expands with each breath, filling the mold. Commenting on the plastic-blowing process, Iwamoto comments: “as with glass blowing, many factors such as the shape of the mold, air-pressure and the speed of heating the pipe’s surface, affect the shape of each object.” Using different mold shapes enables Iwamoto to create differently patterned and sized vases. The designer initially started ‘Plastic Blowing’ as a way of transforming mass produced items into art. He believes that by combining the cheap and readily available PVC plastic material with his traditional, customized blowing technique he gives the items new value. Iwamoto’s project is an example of how resourceful design thinking can help minimize plastic pollution and reduce waste material.