Published April 21st 2018 on the former blog
If you’re interested in design or architecture as well as into Japan (which is probably why you’re reading this) the likelihood of you being familiar with the term “wabi-sabi” is pretty high (if not, I highly recommend reading Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers). “Wabi-sabi” is a way to describe the beauty in “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete” things. I think the Wasara plates perfectly embodies the impermanent aspect of it. And as the daughter of an architect specializing in environmentally friendly architecture, I of course also love the biodegradable aspect of them.
I love how beautifully crafted these paper plates are. Every single piece is a joy to touch and elevates whatever you serve within them to a level that no other paper plate would. But the fact that they are made of paper make you realize that you will be only using this plate once but might make you cherish the moment a little bit more than you usually would. In a world where we get distracted by the mobile phone more often than we like, I welcome products such as Wasara and it’s embodiment of “wabi-sabi” more than ever.
The collection includes cutlery made out of bamboo. I love how their design elegantly solves a problem we all know about too well: the slipping off of the knife while walking around at a party and the occasional fork falling on the ground that puts you in a slightly awkward position.
I love how the Wasara website is not only beautifully designed but how they seem to know how to appeal to their audience by showcasing their plates in action during parties and how their plates can be applied to western cooking just as well as for Japanese.
But if you’re like me and still wished the beauty of the plates being more long-lasting I have good news for you. Wasara does seem to have a second series called “Wasara Nuri” where they chose to cover the paper in traditional Japanese lacquer and the outcome is just exquisite!
Sadly I don’t have any of the plates above in my own household but I’m curious how long the “Nuri” version lasts, but I remember my mother having somewhat similar plates and using them to serve dry foods such as nuts, chips, rice crackers and other snacks for years and we still have them.
Photos are courtesy of Wasara and I recommend checking out their site to see the whole collection.
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