meguru — kathleen reilly

Meguru (環る) is a series of plates made in collaboration with the community of Tsubame-Sanjo, a Japanese town renowned for over 400 years of metalworking. Inspired by Jeong Kwan’s philosophy of ‘food is an expression of what you hold in your mind’, this project aims to elevate the dining experience to connect the minds of every part of the process from crafting to dining.

Each plate was made during a workshop in the Tsubame-Sanjo area where members of the community were given an identical circular sheet of copper (29.5cm diameter). Similar to calligraphy, molten tin was hand wiped on to the surface of the copper to create unique patterns. This was a very personal and intimate process as each resulting mirror pattern was a direct reflection of the maker, and how they see the world.

No two plates are the same - each plate has been tinned by a different member of the Tsubame-Sanjo community, including craftsmen, children and the elderly. By involving the community, the plates act as a collective reflection of Tsubame-Sanjo’s circular attitudes centred around locally sourced materials and traditional craft techniques.

Made in collaboration with Playfool for Steinbeisser’s Experimental Gastronomy X Zen Buddhist nun chef Jeong Kwan, Gemeenlandshuis Amsterdam 8th-11th of September 2022

Meguru plates are now available to purchase via jouwstore

Shot by Kakeru Ooka & Kosuke Shimasaki | Workshop venue Gyokusendo | Special thank you to Minori Shirotori