Making "JEWELRY" Interesting

Introducing "Ideas to Make ○○ More Interesting" conceived by young art directors at Dentsu Inc. This time, it's "Ideas to Make JEWELRY More Interesting" by Yu Takahashi.

Communicate with JEWELRY as the theme.

──Why did you choose the theme "Making JEWELRY More Interesting"?

Takahashi: This work is from about two years ago when I was at Dentsu Inc. Hong Kong.

At first, I was alone in a place where I knew absolutely no one, wondering how on earth I could start communicating with the people around me. Day by day, I learned more through conversations with others. But as I talked, I discovered things like someone actually having a birthday that day, or having happy news like getting a girlfriend, or looking energetic but actually feeling miserable with a fever.

I believe everyone has subtle signs of their heart that aren't easily visible.
I thought it would be nice to create little opportunities to talk about those "actually, I'm feeling ⚪︎⚪︎" kinds of things.

After all, no two days feel exactly the same. There are lucky days, blue days, and days that hold special meaning for us. Jewelry, something you wear close to your skin, becomes like a second skin—a way to express your identity. I wanted to create something around this theme that could help people connect.

Another reason was that I only brought one piece of jewelry to Hong Kong, so I thought it would be nice if one piece could have a different design every day.

So the design could change according to the heart's sign.

──Was there anything you were particularly conscious of when conceiving this piece?

Takahashi: I wanted it to spark conversation, so I incorporated emoji motifs that connect to that idea. Each piece is different, creating an infinite image. You can choose based on the day. It ranges from simple colors or patterns representing moods, to heart symbols, crying faces, names, or messages like "Fight." For some reason, there's even a ladybug. Then there's Santa Claus and birthday candles too. My slightly dark idea is that seeing these might spark conversations like, "What happened on the crying face day?"

My initial vision was to create a single piece that could change its design daily for 365 days, matching the wearer's emotional state.

Back then, digital rings were emerging worldwide, but few could handle intricate designs. So I bombarded creators skilled in digital gadgets with questions—like whether OLED displays could handle it, or what the unit cost would be. Digital jewelry has exploded in popularity these past few years.

Science is profound.

──Tell us about something or someone you're interested in right now.

Takahashi: It's not just recently, but since university, I've always been fascinated by science. Learning about human sensory functions like smell and hearing, neural circuits, or the undeniable differences between women and men is fascinating. I'm truly impressed by how well-made robots humans are. In terms of books, I'm reading things like Tachibana Takashi and Tonegawa Susumu's 'Mind and Matter'.

For design and art, I'm reading books on themes like "Speculative Design," which explores questions for thinking about the future, and revisiting books on Surrealism that I've loved since university.

Then, there are moments when all these points connect. It's fascinating to discover that people from different eras were saying similar things or making the same discoveries. Without fail, I also end up having hopelessly jumbled nightmares mixing all these elements, leaving me tossing and turning (laughs).

Also, after returning from Hong Kong, I deeply felt how truly livable Japan is, how kind and thoughtful people are. I want to know more about my own country, so I'm planning to go island hopping this fall.