Kuramata Kyoto
2010s Italian Post-Modern Center Tables
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern End Tables
Metal
2010s Cabinets
Hardwood
2010s Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Posters
Paper
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ashtrays
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Side Tables
Marble, Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cabinets
Wood
2010s Dutch Modern Dining Room Chairs
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights an...
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Western European Rugs
Natural Fiber, Synthetic, Wool
1990s Italian Post-Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Tables
Wood, Plastic
2010s Italian Side Tables
Onyx
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Candlesticks
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Wood, Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Plastic
Recent Sales
Vintage 1980s Japanese Post-Modern Center Tables
Steel
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Tables
Chrome
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Side Tables
Cement
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Tables
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Side Tables
Terrazzo
Shiro Kuramata for sale on 1stDibs
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.