wanted: the takeaway

congratulations to the winners' of this year's wanted product design: for travel!
















a huge mahalo to hawaiian airlines who awarded our top prize winner a round trip flight to the mainland U.S! reid shigemura of ho'okani music designed an ukulele that can easily be taken apart, essentially for the musician on-the-go.



we also give thanks to our community sponsors!

wanted [product] design : for travel

monogotari: a few minutes / with keith yurdana

n   i like that you mentioned how this group of work was a test for yourself to do something more whimsical (than the usual). 

k   in general, my work tends to be heavy, conceptual. its been called heavy and serious, almost grotesque. i used to reside in california and the northwest. but as of late, being in hawaii, color and light finds its way into my work and i just can’t get enough of the clouds. 

n   you gotta recognize paradise! 

so, we here have a string of words: living with art, that very much guides our way of thinking when it comes to design. what are your thoughts when it comes to living with art?

k   thats a great and odd question. first thought that comes to mind is the native american language where there really is no word for art. it just is, it’s ingrained in everything they do. i believe people are instinctively and constantly creative and find their own ways to tinker, think through life's changes. my work has to do with growth. when i can create something that speaks to a viewer i think ultimately- its nourishing.

keith yurdana: cloud machine 3, 4, 5 

keith yurdana: cloud machine 5

keith yurdana: cloud machine 4

also featured with keith in this month's show is gilles & louda larrain, and ann asakura.

gilles & louda larrain: queen wanatabula

gilles & louda larrain: la radeau dela medusa

above are two works from gilles and louda larrain's series: dark angels.

gilles larrain went from architecture to painting, to sculpture, to crafting culture and icons in new york city during the 60s.  larrain shares his series titled dark angels, an ongoing project with seeds in childhood memories slowly transformed.

ann asakura: sonomama

ann asakura: sonomama

ann asakura is the co-founder and executive director of TEMARI, center for asian and pacific arts, a 36-year old organization dedicated to perpetuating asian-pacific folk arts and their contemporary expressions. in monogatari, asakura explores the japanese concept of sonomama with her quilt sewn from re-purposed kimono textiles.

trunk show

etc inc

in 2011, in misty hilo, hawaii an old printing press behind the east hawaii cultural center sat idle. artists tobias brill and jerilee negrilo decided to open up the press once a week to the community and offer classes on printmaking. They also had a few young friends who wanted a place to work and from there the ETC INC collective grew. today, ETC INC features the works of lonny tomono, tobias Brill, kevin diminyatz, leslie samson-tabakin, rann sergeant, kawa harijan, jerilee negrillo and liv johnson.

jerilee negrilo explains, “ETC INC aesthetics speaks not only to the somewhat randomness of our work, but also that it is unfixed and unending. the one thing we have in common is that we are constantly making lots of work and we are not afraid to move into new directions. we are somewhat competitive with each other...quarreling can be found between us every now and then. however, lonny [tomono] is the glue that binds us. he has a personality that is always supportive and encouraging, and in the end, his way prevails. i suppose we are like a family in that way.”

fishcake opens its march exhibition with ETC INC on thursday march 19, 2015 from 6p - 8p at 307c kamani st in kakaako. parking is at lanai things lot and the reception is free.

etc inc is a group that shares ideas, inspiration, and methods of drawing and printmaking. they strive to inform, challenge and encourage each other to create work that embodies a personal view of contemporary life in hawaii. find more info at www.etc-inc.tumblr.com/.

and the first art exhibition of 2015 goes to...

just as tea has been a drink for sages, emperors and all classes of people from ancient times til now, so has the teahouse been a place for all people. from the solitary hermitage to the social gathering places of the rich and poor, teahouses have acted as a bridge into the cultures of the far east. they are gateways into philosophy, history and traditions, health, political and social interaction, and all of the arts from the visual to the written and performing arts.   in essence, teahouses have been bridges between people, connecting hearts and minds. artist, andrew binkley, offers a glimpse into this world through photographic prints taken from his soon to be released book china teahouse, which features over 500 photographs, spanning 300 pages and covering 21 teahouses in 10 locations throughout China. join us for the opening of CHA thursday, february 12 from 6p-8p live music by ejyptsun @fishcake in kakaako 307c kamani st honolulu hi 96813 parking at lanai things   in line with CHA, fishcake hosts north face ambassador and award-winning explorer jeff fuchs for puerh: the traveling tea on sunday, february 15 from 1p - 4p. fuchs was the first westerner to have travelled by foot on the legendary tea horse road over the himalayas and will speak on his experience coupled with tea tasting and demo of puerh sourced from ancient tibetan trees.  join us for tea demonstration with jeff fuchs sunday, february 15 from 1p-4p @fishcake in kakaako  307c kamani st honolulu hi 96813 parking at lanai things

we are featured as one of the best design + vintage stores in honolulu, according to conde nast traveler. yay! glad to be amongst friends. check it out here.

recap!

a few pics from last week's wanted [product] design show. it was a great turnout. mark ariyoshi's clip5 got a seat to the box jelly's jumpschool - a 5-step lean mean start-up program that guides you from idea to product market-fit. we'll be sharing news shortly on how you can get your hands on them!

eric lai, our guest [product] designer, 

you are wanted.

fishcake's [first] products show. deets below!

wanted [product] design // 11 september - 12 november

submission format:

prototype and/or drawing plan, developed imagery

narration (necessary)

details:

email info@fishcake.us [re: #wanted] to enter

include: name, contact info, what product you will enter

submit in person by august 31 @fishcake

$10 entry fee

any medium or material

any age, any gender

fishcake will curate final showcase

part 1 product and design

fishcake introduces wanted [product] design by hawaii designers.

there is no question that hawaii’s design community has begun to speak on behalf of its own building energy. as a lover of things beautiful and innovative, produced thoughtfully (and with some quirk), fishcake aims to catalyze this movement and asks designers to inspire us with an individual product design.

everyday objects, when reimagined, suddenly have the power to engage ideas and issues beyond the product itself. the best product is one that addresses a need, and a desire. it embraces experimentation and packages complexities in an expressive way that expands beyond the physical object and into our experience.

we’re fortunate to witness collaboration spanning genres of art, craft, and design. there are no rules regarding medium. but we ask that you consider issues of mobility, sustainability, commodification and production (to name a few). and there are no answers! maybe a few questions. narrate your product: what did you observe? how did the idea for your product come about? what are you trying to communicate?  

part 2 design and production

wanted [product] design also serves as a platform to see our favorite hawaii-based products materialize and (mini) multiply. the idea and designer that flies receives a seat at JumpSchool for mentorship + product development.

questions + concerns + praises or ideas?

contact keikoha@aol.com or naomi@fishcake.us

visit fishcake.us | call 808.593.1231 | follow @fishcakehawaii

in july

pardon the lack of a post in a short while. its the year of the horse and things are moving. two exciting things are happening this very week: meet + greet with morning glass coffee, the newest addition to the kamani block family (fishcake + box jelly) and summer fishmarket, a one-day market with a handful of our favorite small kine shops, indie vendors and foods! family + dog friendly, per usual. 

justin davies extraordinaire!

eatery pig and the lady kicked off fishcake[works] first interior project this past fall. fishcake worked hand in hand with the in house crew to create what is now the 24-7 brick + mortar home to pig and the lady. the red brick walls, so characteristic to honolulu's chinatown, come to life with the work of justin davies. davies's work is a seamless collage of photographs. each photograph is delicately, intricately, woven into the narrative. sometimes the story is of tribute, sometimes pure fantasy! we are so pleased that davies's work has a home at pig+lady (and are finding other homes thereafter). 

Check out this article on artist Justin Davies by The Offsetter: A Pig and a Lady and a Justin Davies

new show in the works! kakaako: water. land. people.

announcing a new art exhibit! and on what more appropriate subject than kakaako itself. 14 artists explore in this provocate exhibition the identity, history, and future of our community. with new work, artists have responded to its water, land and people. the exhibit will take place at two kamani street venues and includes photography, printmaking, installation, painting, and collaborative projects.

these varied works reflect the ongoing changes of honolulu’s kaka‘ako area. from the early days of fishing villages and ponds, salt pans and agriculture to a dense residential community with cemeteries and quarantine stations, to an industrial area (honolulu iron works) to the commercial urban kaka‘ako of today. 

some artists reflect on the past, others look to the future. 

opening reception is saturday may 3 from 6-8 pm 

fishcake, 307c kamani st

herbologie, 318 kamani st

box jelly 307a kamani st - a concurrent exhibition 'hawaii future' is open to viewing next door 

sunday fishmarket

save the date folks! march 30 is sunday fishmarket, a one-day garage + small kine shops sale!

featuring

we are iconic - clothing accessories

stand up eight - furniture

treehouse - vintage cameras

the pacific tea garden - cafe (come hungry)

naoko shinzato - cool things

hound & quail - curiosities

d/k - handmade goods + fabric remnants

p55dle - totes

vintage rose - vintage

zenga - vintage kimonos

mono - stationary / small design goods

aiko moran - cute stuff
south shore paperie - letterpress stationery

rsvp to our facebook event page here.

get your tails in FISHSCHOOL!

contact us to reserve your space at info@fishcake.us or 808.253.2931

plant play w. the okas what | create a succulent arrangement, learn basic maintenance + upkeep fee | $30 date | sunday march 23 time | 12:00p - 2:00p ish material | provided bring | your own container or salvage one from the okas (for a small fee)  all about bokashi w. jimmy what | learn how to make recycle your food waste + make bokashi and take home a mini composting system + get a special offer on bokashi bucket products! fee | $20 date | sunday march 16 time | 11:30a - 1:30p ish material | provided! bring | yourself!    wet felting w. keiko what | learn the basics of wet felting + take home your own beret fee | $45 date | every saturday time | 10:00a - 2:00p ish material | $20, pay to instructor bring | brown bag lunch, 2-3 hand towels, 1 small bucket, 5 kitchen sponges

we did a little pop-up of our own...

we are an avid supporter of pop-ups. as most small business retailers know, pop-ups can inject a fresh spark into the mix. but! last week, we did a little pop-up of our own at february's art + flea in kakaako. it was a joy to meet new faces and re-connect with more familiar ones. 

what did we have in store? fish team has been quite busy as of late, 

creating exclusive fishschool

products designed, made, and packaged all here in hawaii! 

[right top] our storefront at art + flea

[right middle] bees, soy waxed canvas lunch bag by d/k

[right bottom] yogi clutch by reise kochi

plant play, cont'd...

last weekend's fishschool plant play workshop was an absolute joy. if you recall, that sunday morning was all rainstorms and thunder but everyone showed up ready to plant! mark + frances supplies fishcake with our ever popular succulent arrangements day in and day out. this past weekend was their first workshop and we continue with another tomorrow (12.22) ...and every sunday thereafter!

something fishy...

this holiday season, gift your family and friends something fishy! 

fishschool: plant play

we've got another fishschool in store for you! 

create a succulent arrangement, learn basic maintenance + upkeep

beginning sunday dec 15
11am - 1pm ish
$15
-plants provided
-bring your own container or salvage one from mark+frances

"mark is the backyard gardener + frances is the artist" 

holidays are here!

kitchen jinglung and bento boxes for the holidays are here, straight out of fishcake (factory)!

kitchen jinglung salt sampler by fishcake
blush lava
blush balsamic
blush cabernet
red alaea
sweet & salty
white coral
$22

kitchen bento box

laundress soap bar

indigo dyed flax dish towel

hand-crocheted flax scrubbie (antimicrobial too!)

psst psst

if you haven't heard, the box jelly neighbors are expanding their co-working space a tad further beyond our shared "door". it's something like a homecoming, after box jelly first opened as a popup in the back of fishcake in 2011.

The Box Jelly will be divided by Fishcake, a home furnishings store and gallery for designers, nestled right in the middle of Box Jelly’s offices. But the relationship between the two companies (Fishcake is owned by Fujihira’s mother Maura Fujihara) will allow for shared access to the space.

“You can freely flow between Fishcake and Box Jelly. It’s like a sister company, and they’re kind of like the yin to our yang. They provide that balance to what we’ve got going on here,” DiCarlo said. 

lots of changes underway!