Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
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 Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
Late 20th Century American Japonisme Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Australian Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Hollywood Regency Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Faience
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Iron
1960s American American Craftsman Vintage Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Mahogany
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Teak
1880s German Baroque Antique Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
2010s Canadian Masanori Umeda Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ash, Walnut, Wood
