The bags made by Ultra Heavy and Assob were furniture.
UNBY GENERAL GOODS STORE, which offers a selection of menswear-like items, will hold an event to celebrate the release of a collaborative bag by "ULTRA HEAVY" and . For this event, the live silkscreening will be suspended, and Jerry Ukai and Ryuji Kamiyama will doodle on the spot on items lined up in the store and on furniture selected by Akira Ishikawa. All of the items with artwork on them are available for purchase! This will be the first attempt of its kind for "Ultra Heavy". It has been about 2 years since the conception. We asked Akira Ishikawa and Jerry Ukai about the finished bags and the event.
The unit consists of stylist Akira Ishikawa (right), designer Ryuji Kamiyama, and art director Jerry Ukai (left). Their catchphrase is "If you are in doubt, just bring a sofa or a desk! is their catchphrase. The following is a press release by Mr. Ishikawa.
. it's not a sarcasm against the trendy UL ultralight fundamentalism , nor is it a counterpunch to the latest outdoor gear. . . nor is it an endorsement of urban living. . I want to make my own decisions. I'm not like Sid Vicious, leave me alone, you idiot! Is that the mood you are in? I design a picture on a plain Tyvek sheet, and then I draw a prank on the sheet, and lay it out or look at it. I lay them out and look at them, ready in case of an emergency. . just want to wear cotton dress shirts and do dirty work , or keep warm in a heavy wool coat. If you don't love it dirty, you can paint it a feel-good color or silk-screen it to bring it back to life. . if it feels good. . It doesn't matter if it makes everything else lighter because of it, and it doesn't matter if it ruins the state-of-the-art either. . it's just the right specs to be there. . and I mean that with a heavy heart. (Akira Ishikawa, ULTRAHEAVY)
cormorant fishingIt's difficult, isn't it? We don't really understand it either (laughs).
Ishikawa (city). "Ultra heavy" is not about being heavy (as in UL's counterpart), it's just "I look for things that I'm comfortable with." I don't say "this is right" at all. . I don't want to do anything at camp, and Ukai climbs mountains with UL gear. I don't want to do anything in the camp, and Ukai-kun climbs mountains with UL equipment. But, you know, I sometimes ignore my own specs and imitate Ukai-kun's. .
cormorant fishingOutdoor activities are basically cosplay, aren't they? . It's exciting and it's fun, but it's wrong. But I want to say that it is wrong to think that is the right thing to do.
In "Ultra Heavy," we have UL's Ukai , and the exact opposite, Mr. Ishikawa . Furthermore, with Mr. Kamiyama, it is interesting that three people with different directions form a unit.
cormorant fishingI'm embarrassed to say it myself, but I feel it's great that I'm in the "ultra-heavy" category as an UL player. It was a time when I was starting to feel a little different about myself as I was doing ultralight, and I am grateful that Ken asked me to join.
Ishikawa (city)Like Mr. Ito of Grubi, UL people use scales to weigh their gear. That's just for fun. I don't play, but I need a case for my guitar. I don't play, but I need a case for my guitar. If a surfer wants to surf, he takes his surfboard with him, whether by train or by car. . because that's the subject. So, putting records in this bag and listening to music at the campsite is also an option. I have done it before. In that case, you want to bring a lot of records. . That's why this size and thickness are necessary. I made this bag not for someone else, but for what I wanted.
When did you start talking about making this bag in the first place?
cormorant fishingAbout 2 years ago .
Ishikawa (city)It took quite a while. Well, it is called a delaying action by Mr. Cormorant.
cormorant fishingYes, I know. I made them wait a long time. Well, I'm good at it (laughs).
Did you have the bag model in mind first, and were you only in charge of the textile design for "Ultra Heavy"?
Ishikawa (city)No, the bag itself is an original mold. I don't remember why, but it was first discussed in the press room with (UNBY representative) Mr. Fujimatsu. From there, I started saying things like "a little thicker" or "a cube shape would be better," and it turned out to be true.
So, it's "what I want, not what someone else wants.
Ishikawa (city)"Wow, you can really do that!" . . I don't really touch the gear, partly because I think it's a little rude. . But this is a manufacturer, so I can really rely on them.
The sample bags are made by sending the fabric that Mr. Ukai illustrated directly to the factory, right?
cormorant fishingYes, it is.
Ishikawa (city)At first, Ukai-kun said, "Shall I draw everything? I never say no to a design, but this time I was on my knees. I never say no to a design, but this time I was on my knees. Mr. Ukai, please don't draw directly on the paper! I said, "Mr. Ukai, please don't draw directly on the wall!
cormorant fishing（. if (the fabric) comes to 300 meters or so, it's bad. But this is the first time I've seen this pattern.
Ishikawa (city)Yes, that's right. Prints on fabric are common, but I think this is the first time to print something drawn directly on fabric. . I said, "You can use any part of this. There is a product rule that the same pattern must be in the same place on the bag, right? I thought it would be okay to break that rule, too. I didn't care if the illustrations were cut off.
cormorant fishingThat's what makes it interesting. The pattern is different for each bag. To go into detail, the base is an "Ultra Heavy" Tyvek sheet, but I thought that printing on canvas would change the appearance, so I changed the arrangement, added dead leaves and acorns, and so on. . I also used a lot of old artwork, including a fake signature of Prince.
Ishikawa (city)Seriously! It's the pele of Kinashi Noritake. But, you know, it's "ultra heavy" to not stop there, even though Tyvek's data alone is viable. Like the first "B+U.H ULTRA HEAVY EXHIBITION" we did, this time too, we turned an A product into a B product by illustrating it on the bag. We make it tasteless by taking one step further (laughs).
cormorant fishingIt's what we do best.
We will wait to see what kind of event it will be.
You are also going to hold a pop-up event in the "UNBY GENERAL GOODS STORE TOKYO" around this bag.
Ishikawa (city)On the first day of the pop-up event, Ukai and Kamiyama will doodle on the store's bags and tools selected by the store and sell them. I would definitely like to have a black tool box with a white pen scribbled on it by Mr. Ukai, and I would like to sell it to you as well. I definitely want it, and I want you to have it, too. . So we will not be doing the usual live silkscreening.
In the exhibitions that Ultra Heavy has held in the past, people have been allowed to bring in their own items, but it is interesting that it is limited to items in the UNBY GENERAL GOODS STORE TOKYO.
Ishikawa (city)I also offer furniture that I bought at a thrift store or something. You can find all kinds of tools here. People love that. Also, it is very important that the bags in the store are original. It's great to see Ukai-kun and Kamiyama-kun drawing on the bags made by Assov.
By the way, before the interview started, you also mentioned that you don't want to do painting on outdoor goods.
Ishikawa (city). already, there's no such thing as outdoors or interior design. I don't see the point in separating them. It's just my own style and specifications. But when we talked about it at the meeting, I realized that a bag is an interior design. If you hang it on the back of a chair, it can be used for storage, and if you put all your tools in it and hang it on the wall, you can take it camping with you. Or you can put all your tools in it and hang it on the wall to take it camping with you. . those things are actually interior design, too. . This is not about the practicality of the bag, but about its width and shape. This is also a play.
cormorant fishingFurniture has been something you have wanted to do for a long time.
Ishikawa (city). the name of the event, "Ultra Heavy Furniture Service," was given to me by the store, but it's a good name.
cormorant fishingCome to think of it, it's been a while since we had an event in Tokyo where all three of us were together.
Ishikawa (city). It's not always easy to get together. Also, the three of us often do things on our own, but this time, we have a proper theme of announcing the bag, which is also new. It's like, "We've released a record.
cormorant fishingFinally!
Ishikawa (city)I will also be interviewed to celebrate the release. He said he would do anything, even events (laughs).
cormorant fishingLike a new idol.
Ishikawa (city)Yes, yes. I also told Kamiyama-kun, "Just bring a spray can and come easy. He had nothing to do with this bag, though. It's been a while since I've seen something so masculine, and the concept we've been talking about is coming to fruition. I think people at the places where we've held exhibitions of "Ultra Heavy" in the past will be surprised. "This is it! I'm thrilled to see if it will be a success. I am very excited to see if it will be successful. If it fails, I should write a script that says I will get angry and run away. Oh, what am I going to do?
cormorant fishingLike, "Ken, I cried." That's interesting.
Ishikawa (city)I'm really looking forward to your live painting, Ukai-kun. So, when is it (laughs)?
ULTRA HEAVY FURNITURE SERVICE POP UP STORE
We "ULTRA HEAVY" are furniture makers, right, and will be starting May 26th. But that doesn't mean we will be craftsmen. . But we will paint, draw, and sell all the bags, fancy cases, clocks, pictures, tool boxes, and other items in the store! Jerry Ukai, Ryuji Kamiyama, and I will do it on the spot on the 26th. It's not something cool like customization . It's an unpredictable and thorough postcard. You can come and see what happens. Hello, and welcome to ULTRA HEAVY Furniture! This is ULTRA HEAVY Furniture Service!
Akira Ishikawa
Event Date: Saturday, May 26
Address: Courtyard of UNBY GENERAL GOODS STORE, 3-18-23 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Time: 11:00 - 20:00 (Live painting will start at 13:00!)
POP UP period: May 26 (Sat) - June 17 (Sun)
Phone: 03-6328-0577 www.unby.jp
