Masanori Umeda Furniture
From his cheerful Getsuen Lily chair to his provocative Ginza robot cabinet, Masanori Umeda’s furniture designs are often described by critics and collectors alike as poetic, ironic and full of whimsy.
Umeda was born in 1941 in Kanagawa, graduating from Tokyo’s Kuwasawa Design School in 1962. In 1967, he moved to Milan, Italy, where he began his design career working in the studio of Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. From 1970 to 1979, Umeda was a design consultant for the Olivetti studio, and there he met prolific furniture designer and architect Ettore Sottsass, who founded the Memphis Group, Italy's boldest, brashest postmodern design movement.
In the early 1980s, Umeda joined Memphis, creating his most famous piece, the Tawayara boxing ring seating unit in 1981. Comprising a monochrome, Tatami matte floor, tie-dyed cushions, bungee-style ropes and flexible lighting at each of the four corners, the Tawayara was Umeda’s homage to space-constrained Japanese living areas. It remains one of Umeda’s rarest pieces (only 30 were ever made). Fashion designer and icon Karl Lagerfeld once owned a Tawayara boxing ring that featured prominently in his Monaco apartment.
In 1986, Umeda returned to Japan and opened his U-MetaDesign Studio (now Umeda Design Studio Inc.) in Tokyo, garnering accolades for his uniquely lighthearted collection of armchairs, lounge chairs, table lamps and decorative objects.
Over the course of his career, Umeda has won several awards, including the BraunPrize in 1968, the Grand Prix of Japan Display Design Award in 1981, the Japan Commercial Space Design Award in 1984 and the Grand Prix of Good Design Award in 1990.
Umeda continues to design furnishings that embody the spirit of postmodernism, enjoying collaborations with Memphis Milano and Italian furniture manufacturer Edra. His pieces have been exhibited internationally and are held in the collections of museums around the world, including the M+ Museum in Hong Kong, which acquired more than 180 of his works in 2015.
On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Masanori Umeda seating, lighting and serveware.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Ceramic
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Masanori Umeda Furniture
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Masanori Umeda Furniture
Plastic
2010s Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Ceramic
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
2010s Dutch Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Marble
2010s Dutch Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Dutch Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Travertine
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Ash
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal
1970s American Space Age Vintage Masanori Umeda Furniture
Aluminum
1970s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal
1990s Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal, Steel, Chrome
1960s Italian Vintage Masanori Umeda Furniture
Faux Leather, Plastic
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Upholstery
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal, Chrome
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal
1990s European Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Textile
Late 20th Century Italian Masanori Umeda Furniture
Velvet
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Furniture
Metal