Design or art hero: “I really respect the 16th-century tea master Sen no Rikyu, who perfected wabi-cha style. He changed the whole philosophy around the tea ceremony and its practice, simplifying its style and transforming it into something much more expansive and honest. Instead of using expensive Chinese porcelain, he wanted to use clay made by a roof tile guy. And from that idea, he made everything — from the tiniest bamboo whisks to the whole tearoom architecture. In that sense, it’s a direct influence on my relationship as WAKA WAKA to IKO IKO. For us, the goal is to create a context for the things we make, and we’re always very conscious of how they work together to create an experience. That involves defining the relationship among the furniture, ceramics, clothing, objects, paintings, rocks, and plants in the shop, which in turn inspires my work.”