Download PDF (66 K)SHIRO KURAMATA
1934-1991
Born in Tokyo between the two world wars, Kuramata grew up during World War II and the American Occupation of Japan. In 1953 he graduated from Tokyo polytechnic high school, where he studied woodcraft, and went to work for a furniture company. Soon afterwards he enrolled at the Kuwasawa Design School in Tokyo, an institute that taught more Western concepts of interior design. This included the study of chairs, at a time in Japan when even designers maintained traditional Japanese homes where they sat on the floor on tatami mats.
In 1957 Kuramata was hired by the small department store San-Ai as a designer of showcases as well as floor and window displays. Then, after a brief stint as a freelance designer for the retail giant Matsuy he opened his own office in Tokyo in 1965.
Kuramata's revolutionary approach to the design of furniture and interiors reflects the tremendous dynamism and flowering of creativity in postwar Japan. He combined the Japanese concept of the unity of the arts with fascination with contemporary Western culture, both high and low. He delighted in the mischievous dislocations of Marcel Duchamp's readymades; in the Minimalist sculptures of Dan Flavin and Donald Judd, with their geometrical repetitions and incorporation of light; and in furniture designer Ettore Sottsass's playful spirit and love of bright color.
He was inspired by Ettore Sottsass's playful spirit and love of bright color and joined Sottsass's collective, the design group 'Memphis', based in Milan, at its founding in 1981 and considered the Italian designer to be his "maestro." Kuramata reassessed the relationship between form and function, imposing his own vision of surreal and minimalist ideals on everyday objects.
During the 1970s and 80s, Kuramata, alert to the numerous possibilities of new technologies and industrial materials, turned to acrylic, glass, aluminum, and steel mesh to create objects that appear to break free of gravity into airy realms of transparency and lightness. His furniture and interiors have been influential both in his native country and abroad.
Awards
1990 Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
1981 Japan Cultural Design Award
1972 Mainichi Industrial Design Award
Group Exhibitions
1999—1996
Shiro Kuramata, 1934-1991. Traveling exhibition: Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, June-September
1999
Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, October-December
Österreichisches Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna, January-March
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, June – August
1998
Grey Art Gallery, New York University, June-September
Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Montreal, October-December
1997
Centro Cultural, Mexico City, April-June
Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, August-December
1995
Japan Today. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark
1994
Collection: Chairs of the 20th Century. Museum of Modern Art, Toyama
Japanese Design—A Survey Since 1950. Philadelphia Museum of Art
Images du Futur—'94 Japon. Old Port of Montreal, Canada
1993
Electronic Surface—Liquid Structure. O Art Museum, Tokyo
1991
Il Dolce Stilnovo della Casa. Palazzo Strozzi, Florence,
Design Connection—Shiro Kuramata Memorial. Porte de Versailles, Paris
TAPIS. Galerie Yves Gastou, Paris
1990
Salone del Mobile. Milan
Il Palazzo and Six Designers. Gallery MA, Tokyo
I Spiritelli. Museo Alchimia, Milan
1989
Memphis & Transavanguardia. Touko Museum of Contemporary Art, Aoyama, Tokyo; Fukuyama Museum of Art, Tokyo
Uny Group. Bi ! Kujira. Yatai at World Design Exposition '89, Nagoya,
Europalia 1989 Japan. Brussels
1988
Petits Architectures Nomades (Little Nomad Architecture). Galerie Yves Gastou, Paris
KAGU Tokyo Designer's Week '88. Axis Gallery Annex, Tokyo
Image Up Project Exhibition for Furniture from Shizuoka. Axis Gallery, Tokyo; Shizuoka Isetan Department Store, Shizuoka Prefecture
Craft Council. Sydney
In*Spiration Lighting Design Exhibition. Tokyo; Paris; Milan
1987
The 1987 Vitra International Exhibition. Musée Rath, Geneva
IDÉE Shiro Kuramata Exhibition. IDÉE Shop, Tokyo
Milano Furniture Salon Exhibition. Zeus Hall, Milan
Intellectual Interior. Shibuya PARCO Part 3, Space Part 3, Tokyo
Exhibition Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Tokyo High School for the Arts. Tokyo High School for the Arts, Tokoyo
Memphis Vol. 8. Milan
1986
Kagu—Mobilier. The Royal Monastery of Fontainebleau, France
Chairs. San Francisco Airport Gallery, San Francisco
1910—1970 Japon des Avant-Gardes. Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
Cappellini Presents the Furniture by Shiro Kuramata. Museum of Milan, Milan
Project K3. Axis Gallery, Tokyo
Tokyo: Form and Spirit. Axis Gallery (1985), Walker Arts Center and other cities in the USA
1985
Contemporary Landscape: From the Horizon of Postmodern Design. National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Tokyo: Its Shape and Substance Tokyo in Tokyo. A collaboration with Tadao Ando, Axis Gallery, Tokyo
Time Piece. Axis Gallery, Tokyo
Time Machine. Gallery 911, New York
Prints by Twenty Top International Artists. Laforet Museum Akasaka, Tokyo and Kyoto International Conference Hall
A Panorama of Contemporary Art in Japan—Design of Daily Life. Museum of Modern Art, Toyama
Japan Creative Exhibition. Seibu Department Store, Tokyo
Clock: Five Artists. Tokyo and New York
1984
Japanese Designers—Tradition and the Present. Central Hall of the Soviet Artists Alliance, Moscow
Phoenix / New Attitudes in Design. Queen's Quay Terminal, Toronto
1983
From Spoons to Cities: One Hundred Designers at Work. Milan
Memphis Vol. 4. Milan
Tokyo International Lighting Design Competition 1983. Livina Yamagiwa, Tokyo
1982
Memphis Vol. 3. Milan
Casa Italia—Memphis Group Exhibition. Seibu Department Store, Ikeukuro, Tokyo
1981
Memphis Vol. 2. Milan
Small Small Exhibition. Ao Gallery, Tokyo
M.T.I. 'Furniture by Architects.' Cambridge, UK
Three Designers Exhibition. Ina Gallery, Tokyo
Metal Sculpture Exhibition. Mikimoto Gallery, Tokyo
Design Forum '81. Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo
1981
Lighting Exhibition. Mikimoto Hall,Tokyo
System Monopoll. Matsuya Ginza Design Gallery, Tokyo
1978
Design and Art of Modern Chairs. The National Museum of Art, Osaka
MA Espace-Temps du Japon. Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
1977
Isu (chair). Tokyo Designers Space, Tokyo
Small Small Exhibition. Ao Gallery, Tokyo
Art Today '77—Structure of Visuality. Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo
1976
Wonderland. Ao Gallery, Tokyo
One Day One Show. Tokyo Designers Space, Tokyo
1975
Wall Paper Design by Ten Designers. Kawakichi, Tokyo
Negation of Form. Kirony Interior In, Tokyo
Akari (Light) Exhibition. Ao Gallery, Tokyo
1972
The Modern Living Interior Exhibition. Maison du Meuble, Tokyo
Tokyo International Lighting Design Competition 1972. Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo
1971
The 11th São Paulo International Biennale. São Paulo
1970
Seibu New Form Interiro Show IE No. 2. Seibu Department Store, Tokyo
Good Design Exhibition '70. Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo
Shaggy Art Exhibition. Detzi Building, Tokyo
1968
DESIGN FOR LIVING. Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo
Solo Exhibitions
1991
Sealing of Dreams. Gallery MA, Tokyo
1989
Shiro Kuramata. Galerie Yves Gastou, Paris
1987
Shiro Kuramata Exhibition. Gallery Gallery, Kyoto
1986
Shiro Kuramata. Galerie Yves Gastou, Paris
1985
Shiro Kuramata Small. Cassina Japan Showroom, Tokyo
1983
Design Gallery Exhibition No. 302 Terrazzo Shiro Kuramata. Matsuya Ginza Design Gallery, Tokyo
1975
Experiment Work. Matsuya Ginza Design Gallery, Tokyo
1973
A Glimpse of Kuramata's Work. Matsuya Ginza Design Gallery, Tokyo
1972
Acrylic Lamps. Gallery Fujie, Tokyo
Public Collections
Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
Centro Cultural / Arte Contemporaneo, A.C., Mexico City, Mexico
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Kundtgewerbemuseum Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin, Germany
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Cologne, Germany
Museum of Fine Art, Boston, MA
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
Toyama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Toyama City, Japan
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
Vitra Design Museum, Basel, Switzerland
Selected Publications
1979
Contribution by Shiro Kuramata, Erco, April, 1979.
1981
"Japan Points to the Future: Shiro Kuramata Interior Angles." G.Q., August, 1981.
1982
Smetana, Donatella. "Il Colore del Bianco e Nero e il Colore del Suono." Casa Vogue, August, 1982.
"Shiro Kuramata." An interview by Kazuko Sato in Domus, April, 1984.
1985
Zanini, Marco. "Al Confine tra Design e Architettura." Casa Vogue, 1985.
"People and Projects." I.D., January—February, 1985.
1986
Taki, Koji. "Kuramata à Paris" "Shiro chez liu" "L'espirit Kuramata." L'Atelier, 1986.
Fitoussi, Brigitte. "Les tiroirs secrets de Kuramata." Maison Française, December, 1986.
"Shiro Kuramata Designer." Casa Vogue. November, 1986.
Colin, Christine. "L'Ultima Generazione del Design Giapponese." Casa Vogue, January, 1986.
"Shiro Kuramata s'installe chez Yves Gastou." Techniques & Architecture, 1986.
"Samouraïs du design." City, 1986.
Fitoussi, Brigitte. "Le salon du meuble." L'Architecture d'Aujourd hui, December, 1986.
1987
"Japan is on the Go." Time, September 21, 1987.
"Edizioni in grande Serie: XO vuole imporsi." Modo, March, 1987.
Popham, Peter. "The Toast of Modernism." Sunday Times Magazine, October 16, 1987.
"Shiro Kuramata." I.D., September—October, 1987.
1988
"Shiro Kuramata Designer." Marie Claire, January, 1988.
"Intervista a Shiro Kuramata." L'Uomo Vogue, January, 1988.
"Deux cafés Kyoto et Tokko." L'Architecture d'Aujourd hui, February, 1988.
Kicherer, Sybille. "Heister eines neuen japanischen design." Form, 1988.
"Breaking the Bonds." Progressive Architecture, September, 1988.
Popham, Peter. "Chairs to the World." Sunday Times Magazine, September, 1988.
Kazuko, Saito. "La Leggerezza Dell'Architettura." Interni, 1988.
Y. Shiratori. "Mon Petit Chou." Abitare, 1988.
"De Wetien van de Leegte." De Tijd, 1988.
1989
Branzi, Andrea. "Purple Shadows." Terazzo, November 3, 1989.
Dings, Matt. "Ontwerpen Tegen de Stress Kuramata." De Tijd, April 7, 1989.
"Shiro Kuramata 1967—1987." Interior Design, 1989.
Benaïm, Laurence. "Plexi trouble." Le Monde, November 28, 1989.
1990
"Kuramata, Images du Monde Flottant." Connaisance des Arts, February, 1990.
"Shiro Kuramata, Dans un Fauteuil." Marie-France, February, 1990.
"Shiro Kuramata, Designer Poète Allégresse et Transparence." Le grand cahier, July—August, 1990.
1991
"Mort du designer Shiro Kuramata." Le Figaro, February 13, 1990.
Richard, Christine. "Mort d'un maitre." Le Quotidien de Paris, February 18, 1990.
Benaïm, Laurence. "Mort du un designer japonais Shiro Kuramata." Le Monde, February 7, 1991.
"Designet med faryenes lyde." Politiken, July 20, 1991.
"Den Evige Jagt på det Perfecte." Bo Bedre, 1991.
Pearlman, Chee. "Shiro Kuramata 1934—1991." Architectural Review, 1991.
"Hommage à Shiro Kuramata." Marie Claire Maison, May 1991.
"Shiro Kuramata." Connaissance des Arts, 1991.
"L'Objet du Mois: Le Siege de Tokyo." Vogue, December, 1991.
"Intermezzo." Abitare con Arte, March, 1991.
"I Segni Della Superficie." Modo, March, 1991.
Fitoussi, Brigitte. "Hommage à Shiro Kuramata." L'Architecture d'Aujourd hui, 1991.
Pawson, John. "Shiro Kuramata." Blue Print, April, 1991.
"Conversazione fra Shiro Kuramata e Andrea Branzi." La Nazione, January 29, 1991.
"From 1960 to 1990 Interior Design in Japan: Shiro Kuramata." Ottagono, August, 1991.
Boisi, Antonella. "Giappone—Shiro Kuramata." Interni, July—August 1991.
1992
Morozzi, Cristina. "Parole fortie e immagini deboli." Modo, March, 1992.
Reif, Rita. "Squaring Off with Aesthetic Connections." International Herald Tribune, June 6—7, 1992.
Barberis, Maurizio. "L'oggetto Tessuto, The Woven Object." Annual Tessuti, 1992.
1993
Polledri, Paolo. "Shiro Kuramata: A Design Poet Appraised." I.D., March—April, 1993.