Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata (1934-1991) was responsible for some of the most ethereal furniture and interior designs of the 20th century.

A pioneer of form and materials, Kuramata’s playful objects melded traditional Japanese aesthetics with Western design principles. Breaking free of modernism’s constraints, he elevated everyday objects with a surreal and minimalistic approach, evoking wonder and surprise.

Central to Kuramata’s practice was a desire to upend convention through the whimsical, poetic, and seemingly impossible.

Kuramata was alert to the potential of new technologies and industrial materials, turning to acrylic, glass, aluminium, and steel mesh. His otherworldly, precise aesthetic is embodied in objects like the Glass Chair (1986), the How High the Moon series (1986), and the Miss Blanche chair (1988). Traces of his Japanese heritage are evident in the detailed craftsmanship and elegant simplicity of these works.

As an interior designer, Kuramata collaborated with the leading designers, artists, and architects of his generation including Issey Miyake, Tadao Ando, and Tadanori Yokoo. Although few examples of his interiors remain intact, the Kiyotomo sushi restaurant, Tokyo (1988), available in the collection of M+ Museum, Hong Kong, has been preserved in its entirety.