In knots: Foam furniture is all tied up

But instead of the Ephemeral Foam that he has worked with before, this foam was hard and contorted, tied with ropes. Inspired by the bondage element of erotica and shibari, the ancient Japanese art of rope-tying, Nagasaka took foam and created new shapes through different tying techniques.

He then dipped the foam in rubber, giving it a black or white finish. The resulting furniture appears spongy, as one would expect foam to be, but when touched the furniture feels surprisingly solid, thanks to the hardened rubber. Like pieces identified in our Haptic Illusion design direction, the unexpected texture of the furniture creates a sense of surprise for consumers.