Rust Harvest By Yuma Kano

Kanagawa-based artist Yuma Kano has created a limited edition furniture collection titled ‘Rust Harvest’, using what may be considered the Ugly Duckling of materials in the art world as his main element: natural rust.

However, rust can be beautiful, too. Kano experimented with trial and error to develop a technique of transferring rust from metal plates onto acrylic resin. The result is a set of glossy, ‘Rust Harvest’ panels, with different colors, textures, and patterns. The panels are then subjected to more weathering in the form of natural light, which permeates the resin creating new patterns and arrangements. These panels are then used as the feature for a collection of interior pieces, including a table, a bookcase, and various sizes of stools. Rather than look at rust as a nuisance, Kano explains a different point of view. “While constantly cast as a devil, a closer look at rust reveals a variety of startlingly beautiful patterns and complex mixtures of color”, he says. “The contrasting combination of natural and manmade materials produces a fascinating sculptural quality in these pieces of furniture.”