Isamu Noguchi

Isamu Noguchi – Designer Between Art and Function

Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) was one of the most versatile designers of the 20th century. Born in Los Angeles on November 17th 1904, the son of Japanese poet Yone Noguchi and American writer Leonie Gilmour, Noguchi's work uniquely combined Eastern and Western culture. His fascination with sculptural design permeates his entire career as a designer, sculptor, stage designer and landscape architect.

After a brief foray into medicine Noguchi turned to art at an early age, studying at the Leonardo da Vinci Art School in New York before a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927 took him to Paris where he worked in the studio of Constantin Brâncuși, a formative period for him, during which his reduced, organic-looking formal language developed. Numerous trips to Japan and intensive engagement with traditional pottery, garden art and Zen philosophy had a lasting influence on his design thinking and made him a mediator between cultures.

Noguchi's work moves freely between art and design. Among his most famous furniture designs is the Noguchi Coffee Table (1944), a milestone of American mid-century design, which is now produced in Europe by Vitra. The sculptural coffee table poetically combines form and function. His Akari lamps are equally iconic: handmade from washi paper, they combine Japanese craftsmanship with modern lighting design and give interiors a warm, atmospheric radiance.

In addition to furniture and lighting Isamu Noguchi created large-scale sculptures, designed public spaces and stage sets, including numerous for the choreographer Martha Graham, with whom he enjoyed a lifelong creative collaboration. His works have been exhibited internationally, including at documenta II (1959) and documenta III (1964) in Kassel.

An outstanding testament to his significance is the Isamu Noguchi Museum which he founded himself and opened in New York on May 11, 1985. It is located in a former factory building in Long Island City, Queens, directly across from his studio. Originally conceived as the "Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum," it was the first museum in the United States designed and furnished by a living artist to exclusively present their own work. To this day the Noguchi Museum serves as an archive, exhibition space, and source of inspiration for his diverse oeuvre.

Isamu Noguchi died in New York on December 30, 1988. His design legacy lives on in museums, gardens and homes around the world. His works combine art with everyday life and interior design in a distinctive, poetic way.