Overlooked Materials
SOGA begins with materials so familiar that they are rarely looked at closely: basketball nets, chains, barbed wire and expanded metal. Rather than treating them only through their intended functions, cultureclub.design focuses on their tension, repetition, knots, edges and transparency. Until now, this research has taken shape through a series of objects and artworks.
Ikkanbari
The material is transformed through “Ikkan-bari,” a traditional Japanese technique with a history spanning hundreds of years, in which layers of washi paper are applied and finished with persimmon tannin or lacquer.
Ikkanshiki is a technique originally used to reinforce bamboo or wooden baskets by layering washi paper over them, making them suitable for storing kimonos and tea ceremony utensils. Rather than concealing the structure of the base material, the process highlights its contours, textures, and repetitive patterns, giving it a new character.
At SOGA, we apply this technique to contemporary, mass-produced materials as a means of bringing out their inherent characteristics and appeal. Mesh becomes like a pattern; chains, like a continuous sculpture; and expanded metal, like a surface that captures light and the gaze. While preserving the inherent properties of each material, we alter its appearance, creating an image unlike anything seen before.
Limited Edition
At Dutch Design Week 2026, SOGA presents its first collection of limited-edition furniture. Developed from earlier experiments with objects and artworks, each piece combines ordinary industrial materials with the hand-applied process of Ikkanbari. The result is furniture positioned between function and sculpture, where familiar materials acquire an unfamiliar presence.
