Do you still remember the flower embossing experiment you always tried when you were a child? You would always prepare a heavy book first, use a piece of toilet paper to absorb the water from the picked flowers, and then put them in a certain page of the book for a while. In the past, take it out and make it into a bookmark or a small card. In fact, there are many changes to this preservation method, which may also lead to different results. Depending on the flower species, the length of pressing, and even the amount of remaining water in the flower body, etc., each time you open the pressed flower in the book page , there is always a sense of surprise like preparing to open a gift, the unexpectedness accumulated over time, and the waiting process hidden in between, are often more attractive than the results after opening, right?
Sola Cube, a brand that originated in Kyoto, seems to have understood this early. Creative director Koichi Yoshmura draws inspiration from nature, especially all kinds of flowers. The flat plants pressed into transparent cubes seem to have lost their originality at first glance. brilliance, but through the craftsmen’s careful production process and the application of their special techniques, each 4 x 4 x 4 cm cube of the small universe is stacked to create a miniature version of the natural world. Speaking of creative inspiration, Director Koichi said that he actually tried many methods and raw materials at the beginning, but all faced failed results that were not as good as expected. After many attempts without giving up, he finally found a special method to complete this task. work.
The special thing is why he named it Sola? In fact, his idea originated from the Chinese character "Cosmo", a concept that seems to be modeled on the theory of evolution proposed by Darwin. Since billions of years ago, various species have Including human beings, we are constantly evolving. We may be able to visit museum displays and even further describe the evolution process of various species, but can we preserve them ourselves? Perhaps embossed flowers are the most obvious one. method, but after all, the preservation time is still limited. After lamenting the eternity of time and the relatively short time that species can survive, these imaginative and inspiring works were born.
The word Sola also explains that everything in front of us, even the visible sky and even the intangible air, these tangible and invisible substances are all the works of the universe. The production method of Sola is also disclosed on its website in secret. The secret is to pour liquid acrylic into a slightly larger model (about 5~6cm), and then carefully put the dry plants into it. In the module, after the gel hardens and takes shape, another new liquid acrylic is poured into it, and it is baked and heated in a vacuum oven to force the excess air inside to escape. This process is to avoid the generation of bubbles; then thermal treatment is performed. , under the spray of hot air of up to 80 degrees Celsius, the durability processing was completed. Finally, the cube was planed into a 4 x 4 x 4 cm cube, and then polished, ground corners and detailed adjustments were made to become These finished products are each nicknamed small universe.
