What Form Can Say Without Words

I recently read Katachi ni wa Riyū ga Aru (“There Is a Reason for Form”) by Michio Akita.

In the book, he writes that the ideal design is made up of simple shapes such as circles, triangles, and squares—and that spending a long time thinking about something does not necessarily make it better.

He also says that a product should be something people can feel, even without having its reasons explained to them.

That idea stayed quietly with me.

In my own jewelry-making process, I often make decisions intuitively. At times, I wonder whether that means my thinking is too shallow.

But this passage made me feel that perhaps intuition is enough, if the reason behind a form can somehow be felt within it.

Many HAPPY CAKE JEWELS pieces have forms that are not overly polished or perfectly symmetrical. There are subtle irregularities, gentle movement, and slight distortions.

Not because every detail needs a specific explanation, but because I want meaning to emerge naturally from the form itself.

That is the kind of presence I hope each piece can have.

My approach is a little different from Akita’s minimalism, but I strongly connected with the idea that some things can be communicated without being explained—and that sometimes, the reason exists in the space left unsaid.

And yet, at the same time, I am constantly reminded of another reality:

If I don’t put things into words, they can be very difficult to communicate.

Perhaps that is exactly why writing like this matters, too.

The quiet thoughts held within an object, and the courage to put those thoughts into words.

I hope to continue creating with both.

Keiko