For our latest video we trucked deep into Brooklyn, NY to explore Mechanical Displays, Lou Nasti’s fantastic studio. Nasti is the animatronic mastermind responsible for installations around the globe, most notably some of the most iconic Christmas displays on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Obsessed with robotics since childhood, he’s been doing it professionally for over 30 years, applying an uncanny mechanical skill reflected in his …
Kids are fickle. Keeping them entertained is a never-ending problem for parents. Enter Sticky Tiki, a creative solution in the form of reusable wall decals, originally hand-painted and printed by a crafty couple in Napier, New Zealand. Made from rip- and wrinkle-proof fabric, the graphics are backed with a low-tack adhesive for easy transfer— either to reconfigure the shape, apply them outdoors or to take …
Deceptively simple looking, a single Karmi tea canister can take artisans over a year to complete. Manufacturer Syosen, based in Yamanaka (a region known as much for its traditional lacquerware, as for its natural thermal baths), crafts their products following a half-century-old lathing technique. Carving a perfectly-rounded cup or bowl involves precisely thinning the wood, followed by several rounds of lacquering (clear in this case) …
