The theme of the 2020 new work is “Cinema Japonesque”. It is a coined word that combines “Japonesque” (Japan), which was the main idea, with “Cinema”, which means flow and continuous movement.

SIRI SIRI's jewelry making always starts with Okamoto's desire to "make". That point hasn't changed, but this season's collection is a combination of new works from existing series rather than focusing on materials.

Four years have passed since Okamoto moved to Europe. Living abroad has become a daily routine, and the “admiration for Japanese things” that foreigners have, so to speak, the viewpoint of envy has begun to appear in themselves. The spirit of Japanese wabi-sabi and zen that sometimes fuses together without compromising the knowledge of nature, which also values ​​tranquility and relaxation. It seems that a change has sprung up in the thinking of Japanese design and art, which is composed of such elements.

In the first place, Europe and Asia, including Japan, are different in terms of how we perceive things that we encounter on a daily basis. For example, the relationship between silence and sound. When a sound is born in a quiet space, in the West the sound and the environment exist separately, but in Asia there is humidity and the sound seems to melt into the humidity. He also says that he sometimes misses the feeling of being mixed with the environment and the atmosphere. The envy and enthusiasm may be similar to the feeling that van Gogh and Monet used to incorporate elements of Japonesque into their works.

Another influence is the question of origin, which is the basis of creation. All designers active in Europe delve into their origins and backgrounds in order to show originality, and clarify their identities as to why they came up with the design. During that time, "I came to think that it would be nice to have something that directly conveys a design that takes advantage of the Japanese aesthetic sense." By confronting his unique origins, Okamoto came to accept the admiration and enthusiasm for Japanese culture from those around him in a new way. Western Japanese longing for Japan. This collection is supported by the fun of reimporting it.

Written by Sanae Kimura Photo (C) Takashi Kawashima