Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Few designers have blended Minimalism and Surrealism into artistic furniture as successfully as Shiro Kuramata. His experimentation with form, function, color and motif informed cabinets, chairs and side tables that are as mystifying as they are visually striking.
Born in Tokyo in 1934, Kuruamata studied at the Kuwasawa Design School. In the 1970s and ’80s, he explored industrial materials in his designs. Inspired by Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass, Kuramata produced irreverent and bold work. In 1981, Kuramata joined Sottsass in his founding of the Memphis Group, named for a Bob Dylan song. The Milan-based collective aimed to turn the status quo on its head and redefine what was considered appealing in modern furniture style.
His experience with the Memphis Group led Kuramata to embrace unconventional optical effects. No piece embodies this more skillfully than the Miss Blanche chair. Crafted with transparent resin and flecked with rose-petal flecks, it gives the illusion that the sitter is floating.
The How High the Moon armchair is a prime example of his playful nature and willingness to challenge the expectations for furniture design. Including shards of colored glass in concrete surfaces, his “star piece” material was prevalent throughout his work, giving the tops of his end tables and coffee tables a brazen, gem-encrusted appearance. His daring approach to design can also be seen in pieces like his sheer glass bookcases with their seemingly fragile shelves.
Kuramata created many visual delights before his death in 1991. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His pieces remain highly prized by collectors and design enthusiasts worldwide.
On 1stDibs, explore a selection of vintage Shiro Kuramata seating, storage pieces, decorative objects and more.
1970s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
1970s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Brass
1970s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
1970s American Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Chrome
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Metal, Chrome
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Brass
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Steel
1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
2010s Italian Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Travertine
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Metal
1960s Italian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Ceramic
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Metal, Gold Plate
1970s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
1970s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
1970s Japanese Minimalist Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
1970s Japanese Vintage Shiro Kuramata Table Lamps
Acrylic
