rěn 忍 - a patient ritual

ren 忍 a patient ritual

product design for a new ritual — Delft, the Netherlands

industrial design studio / TU Delft

Nowadays, we often lose our patience quickly, in a culture of maximum efficiency. Drawing inspiration from the ritual of Chinese calligraphy, where patience and self-expression are so present, I believe we can learn to be more mindful of taking time to do things. My vision is a ritual where we experience harmony, self-expression, and patience, in a moment of zen with one another. I want to express this through bamboo and stone, green and white jade, and centrally, rice paper and ink, sealed in red.

Imagine a friend moving abroad. What better way to express your friendship than through a goodbye gift that allows you to relive this moment in the future, like a time capsule? The ritual of writing a letter to each other brings a moment of mindful self-expression and social interaction, with patience inherent in every step. You exchange the letters and choose a reading date, the letter acting as a constant, tangible reminder of patience until that day.

As time passes, and you meet again on that day, your patience has rewarded you with an extra joyful moment that brings you back in time. This is the ritual of ren: patience.

All products were designed by me. Mock-ups are made with 3D printing, painting, woodwork. Thanks to Kotamech for the support in the fabrication process and the 3D prints!