About the Exhibition

Sori Yanagi (1915– ) was among the first to work independently as a freelance designer in Japan, and left the most significant mark on the establishment and development of Japanese industrial design. Amid rapid changes and growth in the economic and everyday environment, he demonstrated his artistry through the design of industrial products and familiar household objects, earning high international acclaim.

His remarkably broad and pioneering body of work includes Record Player, which won an award at the first New Japan Industrial Design Competition in 1952; White Porcelain Teapot and Butterfly Stool, which received awards at the 11th Milan Triennale in 1957; furniture; ceramic tableware; household implements such as Kettle with a Quick Boil; and even sewing machines, automobiles, and environmental structures such as pedestrian bridges. These works embody the rationality of modern design in their elimination of superfluous ornament in accordance with function, while expressing a beauty born of use — what is known as yō no bi. Running consistently through his design and his approach, which also evoke Japanese tradition and the character of the land, is a philosophy of “beauty in the everyday,” grounded in a keen observation of social life.

This exhibition illuminates the establishment of Yanagi’s design practice, which broke new ground in postwar industrial design during the 1950s and 60s, and introduces outstanding works whose contemporary relevance is being rediscovered both in Japan and abroad.

Hours & Admissions

Location

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Date

January 19 – March 4, 2007

Time

10:00–17:00 (Fridays open until 20:00) 
*Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.

Closed

Mondays (except February 12 ), February 13

Organizer

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo