Here is a really amazing work of art that speaks to the effect that sharing a cup of tea with someone can have. It’s called the ripple effect tea table and it was created by artist Jeonghwa Seos as part of a project called “The Geography of Objects” presented at Eindhoven Academy. The concept and execution are really simple and elegant, and illuminate why the tradition of taking tea is still so significant today.
The piece is your basic rectangular table with one key difference, it’s surface is made up of a thin layer of water that is disturbed every time someone puts down a cup of tea on the table. As one person sets down their cup, it sets off a series of ripples that extends all the way across, affecting the entire surface through concentric rings of movement.
It’s a really beautiful way of showing how when you share tea with someone, you’re sharing so much more. In a digital age where personal contact is becoming a rarity instead of the norm, talking over a cup of tea remains one of the most important interactions we can have with someone. It springs from our basic instinct for sharing and interacting. The design of this table also prompts us to consider the fact that, for better or worse, we have an ability to affect each other in meaningful ways every day, even through what seems like a small or casual social interaction.
We love having The Tea Smith as a place for people to gather and share time with each other. Taking tea with someone is a great way to slow down, catch up, have a meaningful one-on-one, and create ripples that extend far beyond the time it takes to sip a cup of tea.
