Vitra Akari 13A lamp

Design Isamu Noguchi, 1951

Vitra Akari 13A
The Vitra luminaire Akari 13A was designed by Isamu Noguchi. It is a floor lamp from the collection of over 100 Akari Light Sculptures, a product series of light sculptures dating back to 1951, whose lamps are made of washi paper, bamboo and steel wire and are elaborately handcrafted. The sculptures seem to be weightless, "akari", is the Japanese expression for brightness, light and lightness. On a journey, the designer Isamu Noguchi discovered the city of Gifu in Japan, where paper umbrellas and lanterns are made. There he designed his first Akari Light Sculptures, followed by other lamps, including table lamps, floor lamps or ceiling lamps up to 290 centimetres high. In the traditional family business Ozeki in Gifu, bamboo rods are first stretched over original wooden shapes, which form the ribs of the lamp. The Washi paper is applied to the bamboo ribs. Once the paper is dried from the bark of the mulberry tree, the mould is removed. The authenticity of Akari Light Sculptures is guaranteed by a logo of sun and moon, which correspond to Japanese characters. The magic of the paper should warm our rooms at night, is the designer's intention.

Isamu Noguchi
Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was born in the USA, grew up in Japan and returned to America in 1918 to study. He learned brush drawing in China and pottery in Japan. The artist received scholarships in America and France and worked as a sculptor, photographer, stage designer and landscape architect between Western art and Far Eastern tradition. He established his own studio in Kamakura (Japan), but moved constantly between Japan and New York in the 1950s, where Noguchi also set up a studio in 1961. In the early 1980s he established the Isamu Noguchi Foundation in America and Japan and the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum in New York. The Coffee Table, which even the artist considers his best design, is well known. In this table, a stable glass top rests on wooden legs offset at right angles, reminiscent of organic forms. The Coffee Table is also available in the pro office shop.