Flax is a long-known crop with a history of cultivation that dates back several thousand years. In earlier times, the flax fibre was mainly used for the production of linen because the fibres are easy to harvest through retting and outstandingly strong yet also elastic. The Jin chair too is made of bio-based flax fibre and impresses with an appealing look and feel. It showcases a softly curved shape that lends it both stability and a sense of weightlessness. With the idea of using flax exclusively, the entire design concept of this chair realises the principle of circular sustainability, a novel approach with regard to a chair, and thus breaks new ground. Its astoundingly strong frame is based on the innovative use of flax fabric as a structural material. The chair is created by shaping thin layers of flax fibres on top of each other, forming a strong shell around a core of air, making the surface the actual structure of the chair. The designer Jin Kuramoto combined this unique construction method with a futuristic design, creating a highly distinctive and extraordinary-looking object. The Jin chair has thus emerged as the embodiment of a sustainable product, expressed in a novel form thanks to the intelligent use of flax fibre. Jin is available in three different versions: made of flax fibre, of carbon fibre and in an upholstered variant.
Statement by the Jury
The design of the Jin chair impresses with its inspiring and future-oriented use of flax fibre as a sustainable material. Here, the innovative use of the natural physical properties of flax fibre has led to the emergence of a fascinating chair. The chair’s surface structure actually invites people to touch it. Its idiosyncratic aesthetics is complemented by a high degree of versatility. Jin is both robust and extremely light.
