Exploring the Life and Legacy of Shiro Kuramata (1934 – 1991)

Shiro Kuramata is a Japanese interior and furniture designer who has executed many interiors for Issey Miyake shops. His best-known pieces are his Glass Chair (1976) and homage to Hoffmann, Begin the Beguine (1985). Kuramata’s interior designs make use of expanded lattice metal and moiré effects. His portfolio includes furniture in irregular forms and large lamps made from milk-white plastic sheets heated in an electric kiln.

Groundbreaking household items

Shiro Kuramata (1934 – 1991) was a furniture and interior designer from Japan. He was born and raised in Tokyo, where he continued to work. Kuramata trained in architecture and, later, cabinet-making. He has executed many interiors for the shops of the internationally known clothes designer Issey Miyake. In furniture, perhaps his best-known pieces are his glass chair (1976) and his homage to Hoffmann, Begin the Begume (1985).

Education

He went to Tokyo Municipal Polytechnic High School from 1953 to 1956. He learned about woodworking and living design.

Biography

He started working at Teikokukizai in 1953. He made furniture there. Subsequently, he worked in design at big Japanese stores like Matsuya. He started his own design studio in Tokyo in 1965. His style was simple but mixed Eastern and Western ideas.

Summary of Works

The 1970 Revolving Cabinet was his first notable furniture work. He also designed interiors for Issey Miyake’s shops in Paris in 1984, Tokyo in 1986, and other places in 1987. He created the Lucchino Bar and Caffe Oyx in Tokyo’s Seibu store in 1987.

He has created almost 300 stores and restaurants since 1965. Additionally, despite designing furniture for Aoshima and Ishimaru, he is best known for his 1970 Furniture in Irregular Forms collection for Fujiko. Moreover, Cappellini International Interiors’ 1970 wavy 18-drawer chests garnered him accolades while exhibiting his odd and surreal sense of humour.

His Blues in the Night table included dozens of red diode tubes lit inside translucent acrylic, making it the ultimate statement in high-tech romance. His vast 1972 lamps were made from heated milk-white plastic sheets stretched over poles to create naturally formed curves.

Collaborations

From 1975, he advised the Mainichi Design Awards. He opened an office in Paris on Rue Royale. In 1988, he bought a historic house in Paris. He designed the Copacabana handbag for women.

He worked with the Memphis group and Ettore Sottsass from 1981-83. They made several designs. These include a 1972 lamp called Fantéme, a 1978 chest of drawers named Marilyn Monroe, and various tables and cabinets from 1981 to 1987.

Other work included; 

• 1964 49 Drawers by Aoshima Shoten, 
• 1968 Pyramid furniture by Ishimaru, 
• 1970 revolving cabinet by Ishimaru, 
• 1976 glass Shiro Kuramata chair for Mhoya Glass Shop, 
• 1977 Solaris by Aoshima Shoten, 
• 1983 Star Peace table by Ishimaru, 
• 1985 Begin the Beguine chair homage to Josef Hoffmann, 
• 1986 How High the Moon metal-mesh chair by Kurosaki (later, by Vitra), 
• 1986 Sing Sing Sing armchair by XO, and 
• 1986 Drawers in Irregular Form by Cappellini International Interiors, 
• 1988 BK 86000 bar stool by Pastoe, and 
• 1989 Miss Blanche plexiglass chair.

Recognition

Many shows included his work, including the 1978 ‘MA Espace/temps au Japon’ exhibition, the Paris Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and various Memphis exhibitions. He won the Mainichi Design Award in 1972 and the Japan Culture Design Award in 1981.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

The Illustrated Dictionary of Twentieth Century Designers. (1991). United Kingdom: B. Mitchell.

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