Organic LED Product Launch Installation
Michiru Tanaka has released a new product partnering with lighting manufacturer Kaneka to create a stainless steel tile that doubles as both an OLED and a mirror. Tanaka partnered with ORE Design + Technology to design a site-specific “mirror maze” installation, which opened in Manhattan-based Great Jones Studio in June.
Kaneka has developed a series of ultra thin panels using “OLED” technology, with each panel a razor-thin 1mm thick. Each panel provides 55K of light, emitting no UV rays while generating a wide spectrum of white light. The panels’ innovative technology means they can provide up to 50,000 hours of light – around 10,000 hours longer than standard LED’s.
The name “Kumiko” is derived from the ancient Japanese woodworking technique of assembling pieces together without nails, creating unique patterns. The technique is hundreds of years old (600-700 AD) and has been passed down through generations of craftspeople in Japan.
The product KUMIKO is composed of magnetically backed modules which allow the pattern to change based on your preference or mood. The tiles can be arranged as singles or components of larger panels in groups of 3, 6 or more.
The tiles are designed to snap onto surface-mounted walls as panels, creating tiled pieces that light a room up with diffused light and convert back to a mirror in the absence of lighting, with a thickness of 8.5mm.
KUMIKO is both a wall mounted OLED lighting fixture and a mirror overlayed with rich patterns of reflective stainless steel. KUMIKO’s ulta-thin construction allows OLEDS to be surface mounted on structural walls brightening formerly dark rooms, corridors, and stairs. As the OLEDS are dimmed, KUMIKO returns to being a mirror, its glowing secret identity hidden behind your reflection
Client: KANEKA Corporation
