Suzusan is a Düsseldorf design label with roots in the traditional Japanese textile finishing technique called Shibori. Developed by the Murase family, this traditional manufacturing practice has evolved into a product line of luminaires. The products are manufactured entirely by hand, offering unique design solutions to customers.

Translated into English, the verb “shibori” means “wring, press and twist”.  Processing starts by folding certain parts of the textile surface, leaving other untreated. Color transitions created by dyeing raw fabrics reveal intricate three-dimensional patterns, structures and color contrasts.  Originally, the Shibori technique was applied to silk and wool fabrics as well as plant fibers such as cotton and flax. Over the course of the past decades, Japanese craftsmen have started to also treat chemically produced fibers, for example polyester and nylon, as well as leather and metals.

One particular aspect is that no two craftsmen reserve the same material in the same fashion and as such the products always feature the respective artisan’s ‘signature’. This way a multitude of textile designs with highly individualized characteristics is created within a time-honored traditional framework, fascinating time and again through their high quality.

 

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