Supah Groovy Far-Out

There are those who believe that speaking at a conference is like being a rock star; you trash a hotel room, demand sex, and then try to make an audience love you. Well for some designers it is. For us, not so much. Getting up there and speaking is fine, but the best part is meeting other speakers and attendees. We first spied Nobumichi Tosa from Maywa Denki on an incredible tour on the Blue Train in South Africa. He was wearing his signature turquoise jumpsuit, and we needed to know where to buy one. His work is a mixture of performance art and inventions. I especially love the Sei-Gyo, a fish controlled tractor. The vehicle moves in the same direction as the fish swimming in the plastic cross. It’s a little jerky and seems to have little thought, like me. And the Sava-O, a pistol grip operated ventriloquist doll head. Think of the fun at a party. Genius aside, Nobumichi was witty and warm, and became proof that, as my grandmother said, “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”