Tao Chou
2018-2024 Selected Works

My name is Tao Chou, and I am currently pursuing a dual degree in Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Design at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan.

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THE PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

2023. SPRING/Elective Course

Year: Taubman College, Winter, 2023
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Type: Tableware and Souvenir Design
Instructor: Neal Robinson

Carlo Scarpa’s architecture combines modernism, craftsmanship, and precision detail. Inspired by his work, I created a concrete sushi plate set that blends Scarpa’s most used building material and his famous feature, water. The design of the sushi plate is based on the doubled-circle gate of Brion Cemetery, with each circle sized for a single piece of nigiri and a middle place for wasabi or ginger. The soy sauce plate, inspired by Scarpa’s Querini Stampalia water drainage, has a spiraling waterway that collects the sauce in the center. Its shallow, rounded shape can also function as a tea cup, with a chopstick rest incorporated into the design.

Unfortunately, the soy sauce plate mold cracked during the casting process. Rather than discard the piece and make a new one, I turned to the Japanese art of kintsugi to repair the concrete work. Kintsugi ((金継ぎ)) emphasizes embracing imperfections and finding beauty in flaws, similar to the philosophy of wabi-sabi. Through repairing the plate with the kintsugi method, I hope to convey the message of “Finding Beauty in Imperfection”.

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