Sustainable Art Workshop
- wood-ness
- May 28
- 2 min read
As a cosmetics brand that promotes sustainability and upcycling, we held our very first workshop!
This time, we invited contemporary artist RIO UMEZAWA as our guest instructor. Using acrylic paints, participants joined in designing their own bottles.
Instructor: RIO UMEZAWA : A contemporary artist who began learning watercolor, crafts, and oil painting at the age of three. After graduating from junior high school, she moved to the United States alone, studied at an art-focused high school and university, and later returned to Japan. She has held solo exhibitions across the country and has participated in art fairs both in Japan and abroad.
For this workshop, we used vibrant acrylic paints from LIQUITEX. The colors are vivid and exciting to work with!
As part of our sustainable initiatives, we intentionally use labels that are easy to remove.
It took time to find recycled paper labels that are durable without lamination, but we’re glad we did—it made the bottles more suitable for upcycling.
Inside the Sustainable Workshop
The design session lasted about 90 minutes. During the first 30 minutes, participants chatted and brainstormed ideas, creating a lively atmosphere.But after that, the room grew quiet as everyone became completely immersed in their designs—it was amazing to witness the focus in the room!
For most participants, it was likely their first time painting on aluminum bottles—but they dove in with bold creativity. Bravo!
Using bottles that would otherwise be discarded helped everyone enjoy the art freely, without hesitation.
Upcycling allows you to experience the transformation process in real time, which we think is truly wonderful.
A Time to Enjoy Sustainability and Japanese Culture
After the workshop, we also held a casual session to enjoy Japanese tea and traditional sweets.
Since RIO also practices tea ceremony, she casually prepared matcha together with the participants.
The sweet wagashi after such focused concentration tasted exceptionally delicious!
Finding Joy in Sustainability and Upcycling
Words like SDGs, environmental protection, sustainability, ethical consumption, and ecology are now everywhere.While these efforts to protect the Earth and nature are essential, integrating them into our economy may disrupt the kind of stable consumption we’ve been used to—especially the affordable and convenient products we enjoy in Japan.
However, our aim is not to restrict or sacrifice our lifestyles and consumption habits, but to create a more beautiful environment and daily life.That’s the message we want to share through our activities.
We’ll continue to hold workshops and events together with all of you—and we hope you enjoy them!
Founder of wood-ness
Noriko ELIE
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