Shelfless Shelf

This project was commissioned by my friend Xavier as a work of art to cover the electrical works in the entryway to a friend’s apartment. I took inspiration from the Genjo Koan, wherein Zen Master Dogen Zenji said ”To study the Buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self.” Like the Genjo Koan suggests, I sought to forget all of my ideas of what makes a shelf a shelf and approach the construction of the unit with a beginner’s mind. I created a work like a little house; with doors, a window and roof shingles, using techniques inspired by carpentry and my knowledge of Japanese joinery. The resulting form was thus something of a shelfless shelf.

2025

Grenoble, France