KURAMATA SHIRO AND ETTORE SOTTSASS

KURAMATA SHIRO ETTORE SOTTSASS: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT EXHIBITION BOOK

Publisher: ADP Co. Ltd.
Published: 2010
Format: Softcover
Language: Japanese and English
Condition: Very Good

This catalogue was published in 2010 for the Kuramata Shiro Ettore Sottsass exhibition at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT in Tokyo. The exhibition brought together the work of Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata (1934-1991) and Italian designer Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007), looking at the connection between their work and their involvement with the Memphis Group from the early 1980s.

Kuramata was known for experimenting with materials such as acrylic, glass, and steel mesh, creating furniture that often felt light, almost unreal. This approach was also central to his interior work, especially the stores he designed for Issey Miyake. Their collaboration began in 1976 and continued for many years, with Kuramata designing Miyake boutiques in Japan and abroad.

Sottsass, on the other hand, became one of the main figures of postmodern design, known for his strong colors, graphic shapes, and playful use of materials. In 1981 he founded the Memphis Group, bringing together a new generation of international designers, including Kuramata. Memphis challenged the clean and functional ideas of modernism, creating furniture and objects that were expressive, colorful, and often deliberately unconventional.

Although Kuramata and Sottsass had very different visual styles, they shared an interest in taking design beyond pure function. Both used materials, color, form, and space to create something more emotional and unexpected, moving freely between furniture, interiors, architecture, and art.

The book documents around 60 works by Kuramata from 1981–1991, alongside around 20 later works by Sottsass. It also includes texts by architects and designers such as Tadao Ando and Toyo Ito, giving more context to their work and lasting influence on contemporary design.

Dimensions: 23 x 28 cm