In conversation with designer and metalworker Kathleen Reilly

Oku is a new knife design carefully produced in collaboration with highly skilled craftspeople in Tsubame-Sanjo, an area in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, renowned for its metalworking history for over 400 years. Influenced by traditional Japanese place settings and arrangement, the design has a unique folded handle that elevates its function, allowing it to interact with objects on the table in new ways. About Kathleen Reilly Kathleen is a Scottish artist and metalworker with over ten years of experience whilst living in the UK and Japan. She graduated from The Glasgow School of Art Silver smithing & Jewellery department in 2015 and completed her Masters in Jewellery & Metal at the Royal College of Art in 2018. Her journey creating Oku began in 2018 when she visited the 'Biology of Metal: Metal Craftsmanship in Tsubame-Sanjo' exhibition at Japan House London and discovered the skills of their crafts people. In 2019 she moved to Japan on the Daiwa Scholarship. From 2020-2022, she trained with artisans in the Tsubame-Sanjo and developed Oku which won Dezeen Awards Homeware design of the year 2022. About Japan House London Japan House London is a cultural destination offering guests the opportunity to experience the best and latest from Japan. Located on London’s Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens the visitor’s appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Last year, Japan House London marked five years of bringing the best of Japan to the UK and beyond. Part of a global initiative, there are two other Japan Houses, one in Los Angeles and the other in São Paulo.