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Past Special Exhibition

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2023.11.18 - 01.28

The Work of Shiro KURAMATA: A Microcosmos of Memory

Overview

A chair, with artificial roses encased in transparent acrylic resin; another chair made solely by combining panes of glass, 49 drawers, set in compartments in a slightly irregular-sized grid; a clock with seven hands. Initially we are surprised, then break into a smile, and then, after a while, realize that each item remains perfectly functional.

Shiro Kuramata (1934-1991) designed this kind of unconventional furniture, and numerous highly distinctive interiors. He set up his studio as an independent designer in 1965, continually maintaining close contact with contemporary artists as he created a body of work that departed from a conventional design focus on functionality and formal appearance. In the 1980s he participated in the Italian design movement,‘Memphis’, gaining rapid worldwide recognition. Collected by museums around the globe, Kuramata’s work is still held in high regard in Japan and overseas.

This exhibition, held more than 30 years after Kuramata’s death, not only presents his furniture and interiors, but also material like his drawings and dream journals which provide a glimpse of the sources for his creative work. With the aid of the artist’s own words, sometimes dubbed ‘the analects of Kuramata’, it surveys the designer’s entire career from before he turned independent, through to his untimely death in 1991. We hope that looking anew at the work of Kuramata the artist, and Kuramata the man, will provide an opportunity to rediscover the potential of design itself.

Information

Dates:
Sat., Nov. 18, 2023 to Sun., Jan. 28, 2024
Closed:
Mondays except Jan. 8 (nat.hol.), Tue., Jan. 9, 2024, holidays from Fri., Dec. 29, 2023, to Wed., Jan. 3, 2024
Hours:
10:00AM-6:00PM (last entry: 30 minutes before closing time)
Place:
1st floor galleries
Organized by:
Setagaya Art Museum (Setagaya Arts Foundation), The Asahi Shimbun
With the support of:
Setagaya City, Setagaya City Board of Education
With a grant from:
The Kao Foundation for Arts and Sciences
Special cooperation from:
Kuramata Design Office

Admission

Adults 1200(1000)yen / Seniors(over 65) 1000(800)yen / University and high school students 800(600)yen / Junior high and elementary school students 500(300)yen / Preschool children Free
*Prices in parentheses ( ) refer to group rates for groups of 20 or more people.
*Admission for visitors with disabilities is 500yen. Students with disabilities, and one attendant per visitor with disabilities are admitted free of charge.

Overview

A chair, with artificial roses encased in transparent acrylic resin; another chair made solely by combining panes of glass, 49 drawers, set in compartments in a slightly irregular-sized grid; a clock with seven hands. Initially we are surprised, then break into a smile, and then, after a while, realize that each item remains perfectly functional.

Shiro Kuramata (1934-1991) designed this kind of unconventional furniture, and numerous highly distinctive interiors. He set up his studio as an independent designer in 1965, continually maintaining close contact with contemporary artists as he created a body of work that departed from a conventional design focus on functionality and formal appearance. In the 1980s he participated in the Italian design movement,‘Memphis’, gaining rapid worldwide recognition. Collected by museums around the globe, Kuramata’s work is still held in high regard in Japan and overseas.

This exhibition, held more than 30 years after Kuramata’s death, not only presents his furniture and interiors, but also material like his drawings and dream journals which provide a glimpse of the sources for his creative work. With the aid of the artist’s own words, sometimes dubbed ‘the analects of Kuramata’, it surveys the designer’s entire career from before he turned independent, through to his untimely death in 1991. We hope that looking anew at the work of Kuramata the artist, and Kuramata the man, will provide an opportunity to rediscover the potential of design itself.

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