Japanese modern design pieces that are unique and brilliant at the same time. These are the most iconic and primary choice of 1st Dibs. Discover them here!
Japanese Modern Design is defined by the American architect and writer Naomi Pollock, as “In Japan, design is as much something that is done with the hand as the eye,”. After 30 years of living in the city of Tokyo, she is is a well-known author of Japanese Interior Design and architect books. Now, she published the book Japanese Design Since 1945: A Complete Sourcebook (Abrams).
Naomi Pollock said that “I felt compelled to do my best to create something of an archive between two covers and bring all of these different aspects of Japanese design together in one place.”
This book is very well organized, with more than 70 creator profiles. Besides that, it has essays from Pollock and other experts, unique takes on iconic pieces, and images of hundreds of objects. That goes from furnishings to household goods. Pollock says. “These objects feel good in the hand, they feel good to sit in. They just relate well to the body because they’ve been designed with the body as one of the leading tools.” Now it’s time to take a closer look at the objects and find the designers behind them.
1. Tokujin Yoshioka Smatrik Chair
Our first Japanese Modern Design belongs to Tokujin Yoshioka, one of the most spiritual creators in the books. When he designed this chair in 2018 “he wasn’t creating a chair, he was creating the experience of sitting,” according to Pollock”.
2. Oki Sato/Nendo Drop Bookshelf
Nendo is the design firm that belongs to Oki Sato, and he is one of the most brilliant minds in architecture and interior design. “I think he brings a lot of humor, a lot of whimsy to his work, and that makes it very relatable,” says Pollock. “That kind of draws people to the things he creates.”
3. Naoto Fukasawa Itka Table Lamp
Naoto Fukasawa table lamp ia very creative design piece. His way of creating pieces is very intuitive, so he does pieces that will naturally feature within your home.
4. Issey Miyake Pleats Please Clothing Line
There are designers who approach design in a different way, and Issey Miyake is one of them. This art piece was designed in 1993 and it is part of a collection that features numerous pieces made from pleated fabrics.
5. Toshiyuki Kita Wink Chair
Wink lounge chairs have the design of Toshiyuki Kita, and their design began in 1980. “The chair can be molded to fit pretty much any position someone would want to sit or lie in,” says Pollock.
6. Shiro Kuramata Furniture in Irregular Forms Side 1 Cabinet
Shiro Kuramata is a remarkable artist and he is “on the artistic end of the spectrum of Japanese design”. Pollock states that “… when you look at this piece, it looks like something that would come out of a dreamscape more than a furniture showroom.”
7. Tadanori Yokoo “Word Image” Poster
All in order to continue our Japanese Modern Design pieces, now with the art of Tadanori Yokoo. This artist focused his work on Surrealism, American Pop art, and Japanese culture. This is his 1968 poster for the “Word Image” exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and because of this he needed to be on this list.
8. Isamu Kenmochi Coffee Table
Isamu Kenmochi is a master of interior design and he was the first one to introduce an aesthetic he called Japanese modern, which updated time-honored forms and types. Pollock said that this is a very traditional table, that is at the same time flexible and multifunctional.
9. Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool
Butterfly stool is a very simple design object made from two curved plywood plates. However, this is an outstanding example of Sori Yanagi’s blending of traditional Japanese craftsmanship with new technologies. He had this idea after meeting Charles and Ray Eames in the U.S. and encountering their bentwood work.
10. Isamu Noguchi Akari Light Sculpture
Isamu Noguchi is a Japanese-American artist that had his first Akari light sculpture in 1951. It was made from washi paper with bamboo supports. The lights are from a Japanese small factory that uses the same techniques for a long time.
“He took something that was very traditional and made it extremely contemporary,” says Pollock. “They are as many artistic objects — even though they’re mass-produced — as they are light-giving devices.”
Credits to: 1st Dibs
