Masanori Umeda Chairs
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.
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Steel
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Fabric
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1990s Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Metal
Early 2000s Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Metal
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Chairs
Laminate, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Velvet
1990s Italian Post-Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
1990s Italian Masanori Umeda Chairs
Fabric
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masanori Umeda Chairs
Bouclé, Wood
1990s Masanori Umeda Chairs
Cotton, Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Masanori Umeda Chairs
Velvet
1990s Japanese Organic Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Chrome
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Aluminum
1990s Italian Post-Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Velvet
1990s Italian Post-Modern Masanori Umeda Chairs
Metal
