Kensho Spoons

3D design and prototype fabricated in nylon of a pair of spoons as art objects.

In the Zen Buddhist tradition, Kenshō means “seeing into one’s true nature”. It is a short instant of realization or enlightenment. A moment where all the perceptual barriers collapse and a true sense of oneness is achieved. To the practitioner, this glimpse can occur at any moment and while performing everyday life activities. It can happen at the instant a spoonful of food is about to be emptied into one’s mouth. It is the sudden realization that there is no separation. We become what we eat, we become that which is eaten. The self/other dichotomy dissolves.

These two spoons represent our body, manifested in the shape of two of our main organs: heart and stomach. These are represented without any stylization but in their most crude, anatomical appearance. When the spoons are overlapped, the organs align to resemble their position in the human body. The body of the spoon is hollow so any liquids placed on its bowl can be ingested by the handle via a connecting duct.