Intercontinental Polymath; The Life And Work Of Isamu Noguchi

One of the most acclaimed sculptors and product designers of the 20th century, Isamu Noguchi was one of the most formidable figures in design in the years following the Second World War.

A sculptor by trade, Isamu Noguchi was born in the USA to a Japanese father and American mother. As a young boy Noguchi lived in both countries, before ultimately settling in the US to complete his university studies. His work as a sculptor is what brought him to international attention, and allowed for him to visit a vast range of places, including Italy, India and France, with the latter being the space in which he would host his first solo exhibition. This early period of Noguchi's career saw him work on a wide range of often unusual projects, such as inventor Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Car, an incredibly ambitious project for 1929.

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It is the work that Noguchi produced following the Second World War that he is best-known for, which is particularly interesting given his specific dual-heritage. Emerging at the same time as other mid-century luminaries such as Ray and Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen and Hans Wegner, Noguchi is one of the key names from the period, with both the Noguchi Coffee Table and the Akari Lamp series seen as perennial favourites that remain popular to this day.

Noguchi found his inspiration for the Akari lamp during a trip to Hiroshima in 1951. Though a mainstay of East Asian culture since the late-16th century, the traditional paper Gifu lantern (so named for the region in which it was produced) and its standing abroad were in something of a slump following WWII, with cheaper imports reducing demand for authentic renditions of the classic lamp. In an attempt to revitalise the struggling industry the mayor of Gifu himself approached Noguchi and commissioned him to produce a new take on the classic object.

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Over the forty years that followed Noguchi went on to design over 100 variations of the Akari lamp, which takes its name from the Japanese word for "light". He produced all manner of configurations, from humble table lamps, to giant hanging lanterns that stretch over vast spaces. Many of these remain in production to this day, and are still made by hand, from washi paper, in the workshops of Gifu.

There's a clear line between the sculptural qualities of Noguchi's table and lanterns, aka his commercial design work, and the artwork that he produced that resides in galleries and public spaces across the world. A presence in States reaching from Florida to Hawaii, Noguchi's work made an indelible impact on both the furniture and art worlds, with his impact and influence still being felt today.

A selection of Akari lamps are on display alongside the Noguchi Coffee Table in our Flint showroom in the heart of Liverpool's historic Baltic Triangle.