Meet the Curator: Joun / 情雲

Joun — Curator & Specimen Experience Architect

Background

1997–2001
Musashino Art University
Department of Science of Design

2001–2009
Square Enix
Graphic Designer

2010–Present
Naka Design Co., Ltd.

2017–Present
EARTH RIVER

Joun (情雲) is the curator behind EARTH RIVER.

He selects mineral specimens not only for rarity or textbook perfection, but for the way each piece presents itself in real space — its form, transparency, surface, color, balance, and presence when placed in a room.

Before working with minerals, Joun spent many years as a graphic designer, including at Square Enix.

That background shaped the way he looks at objects today: not simply as isolated specimens, but as forms that interact with light, surroundings, and the viewer.

At EARTH RIVER, each specimen is considered individually.

Some are chosen for clarity or crystal structure.
Others may stand out because of an unusual surface, subtle color, natural imperfection, or simply the way the piece feels visually complete as an object.

Joun also writes or supervises many of the descriptions found throughout the store.

When his name appears on a product page, it indicates a personal observation, selection reason, or impression based on the actual specimen rather than a generic description of the mineral species.

EARTH RIVER is built around a simple idea:

A mineral specimen should not only be collected.

It should also be seen, placed, and experienced as part of a space.

Joun continues to select specimens with that perspective in mind.

Joun (情雲)

Joun often visits mineral shows in Tokyo, moving from table to table among many suppliers and returning with only a small selection of specimens that truly stand out. It is part of his work, but also one of the quieter pleasures in an otherwise busy life.

Photographed by Joun with a single light, this quartz crystal measures only a few centimeters. Yet it carries a quiet lesson: beauty needs neither abundance of light nor grandeur of scale.