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Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Japanese, 1934-1991

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.

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Creator: Shiro Kuramata
Sing Sing Sing Chair by Shiro Kuramata for XO
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Naples, FL
Origin: Japan / France, Produced by XO - 1985 Chrome is in excellent condition
Category

1980s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Materials

Steel

Set of Six Shiro Kuramata Sing Sing Sing Chairs for XO, France, 1985
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in London, GB
Sold individually upon request. Shiro Kuramata (1931-1991) created a fluid exchange between Japanese design philosophy and methodology and European postmodern design. Kuramata’s tr...
Category

1980s French Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Materials

Metal

Pair of Shiro Kuramata Sing Sing Sing Chairs for XO, France 1985
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in London, GB
Set of four or six available. Shiro Kuramata (1931-1991) created a fluid exchange between Japanese design philosophy and methodology and European postmodern design. Kuramata’s training was initially centred around traditional woodworking however, when he enrolled at the Kuwasawa Design School was taught by Isamu Kenmochi, who helped him reimagine ancient Japanese traditions using modern materials. The philosophy Kuramata. His designs are made from materials that have reflective, transparent, translucent, opaque and tactile qualities to them, each form a response each material. The sing sing sing...
Category

1980s French Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Materials

Metal

Four Shiro Kuramata Sing Sing Sing Chairs for XO, France 1985
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in London, GB
Set of six available. Shiro Kuramata (1931-1991) created a fluid exchange between Japanese design philosophy and methodology and European postmodern design. Kuramata’s training was initially centred around traditional woodworking however, when he enrolled at the Kuwasawa Design School was taught by Isamu Kenmochi, who helped him reimagine ancient Japanese traditions using modern materials. The philosophy Kuramata. His designs are made from materials that have reflective, transparent, translucent, opaque and tactile qualities to them, each form a response each material. The sing sing sing chair...
Category

1980s French Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Materials

Metal

Shiro Kuramata Sing Sing Sing Chair for XO, France 1985, six available
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in London, GB
Six available in total. Shiro Kuramata (1931-1991) created a fluid exchange between Japanese design philosophy and methodology and European postmodern design. Kuramata’s training was initially centred around traditional woodworking however, when he enrolled at the Kuwasawa Design School was taught by Isamu Kenmochi, who helped him reimagine ancient Japanese traditions using modern materials. The philosophy Kuramata. His designs are made from materials that have reflective, transparent, translucent, opaque and tactile qualities to them, each form a response each material. The sing sing sing chair...
Category

1980s French Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Materials

Metal

Shiro Kuramata 01 Chair in Polished Chrome or Matte Varnish for Cappellini
By Cappellini, Shiro Kuramata
Located in New York, NY
Created as a tribute to the 1980s, the decade during which the original design was made and when Shiro Kuramata began his fertile collaboration with Cappellini, sedia 01 chair featur...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Materials

Iron

Shiro Kuramata 01 Chair in Anthracite Base and Cream Leather Seat for Cappellini
By Cappellini, Shiro Kuramata
Located in New York, NY
Created as a tribute to the 1980s, the decade during which the original design was made and when Shiro Kuramata began his fertile collaboration with Cappellini, sedia 01 chair featur...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Materials

Iron

HAL2 Chair Shiro Kuramata
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
HAL2 chair designed by Shiro Kuramata for Cassina Inderdecor in 1987. Vinyl seat and expand metal back.
Category

1980s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

Materials

Metal, Steel

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Shiro Kuramata-How High the Moon Armchairs for Vitra, 1986
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Previously Available Items
Shiro Kuramata Steel chair, 1986
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Brussels, BE
Epoxy coated nickel-plated steel "How High the Moon" Armchair by Shiro Kuramata, Japan / Germany (Vitra), 1986-1987. Kuramata was mainly known for his use of industrial materials such as wire steel mesh and plexiglass to create architectural interiors and furniture. Revolutionary pieces such as the "How High the Moon" chair reflect the emerging dynamism and maturing creativity of postwar Japan. Vitra label on bottom. Kuramata was born in 1934. He was part of a generation of Japanese creatives born just before the outbreak of Second World War, who are considered to have transformed the way Japan was viewed by the outside world. This generation included Kuramata's friends and collaborators who were famous members of the Japanese design and architecture circle at the time, including Issey Miyake, Yokoo Tadanori, Isozaki Arata...
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Late 20th Century Japanese Post-Modern Shiro Kuramata Chairs

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Shiro Kuramata Steel chair, 1986
Shiro Kuramata Steel chair, 1986
H 27.96 in W 37.01 in D 31.89 in
Shiro Kuramata Steel Sing Armchair for Xo, Japanese Design, 1985
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Antwerp, BE
Shiro Kuramata; Armchair; Memphis member; Sing sing; Steel wire mesh: 1985 Japanese steel wire mesh "Sing Sing Sing" armchair by Shiro Kuramata. The chairs feature roll form backs...
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Pair of Sing Sing Sing Original Yellow Steel Chairs, Shiro Kuramata Pastoe 1985
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Shiro Kuramata Armchair
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Dronten, NL
Armchair designed by Shiro Kuramata for Pastoe. Provenance: Pastoe new old stock. These chairs were made in very limited numbers, because at the time (1985) Pastoe was in a very ...
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Shiro Kuramata Armchair
Shiro Kuramata Armchair
H 31.5 in W 20.87 in D 20.87 in
Acrylic Back Chair by Shiro Kuramata
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Acrylic back chair commissioned model for yamagiwa showroom. The whole space of Yamagiwa showroom interior designed by Shiro Kuramata in 1983. This chair was produced only 15 to 20 c...
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1980s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

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Acrylic Back Chair by Shiro Kuramata
Acrylic Back Chair by Shiro Kuramata
H 35.04 in W 22.05 in D 19.69 in
Shiro Kuramata Acrylic Back Chair
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Acrylic back chair commissioned model for cafe Piacere. The whole space of Piacere was designed by Shiro Kuramata in 1988. This chair was produced only 15 to 20 chairs. Orange acryli...
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1980s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

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Metal

Shiro Kuramata Acrylic Back Chair
Shiro Kuramata Acrylic Back Chair
H 32.88 in W 21.26 in D 19.69 in
Ko-Ko Original Model Shiro Kuramata
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Ko-Ko original model manufactured by Idee, Kurosaki trading in 1987. Made in Japan. There is a metal plate. Of course, Shiro Kuramata piece. This original model can be used as chair...
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1980s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

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Cut Steel

Ko-Ko Original Model Shiro Kuramata
Ko-Ko Original Model Shiro Kuramata
H 24.81 in W 17.72 in D 22.84 in
HAL2 Chair by Shiro Kuramata
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
HAL2 chair by Shiro Kuramata for Cassina, Japan, IXC. This chair is made of expand metal as the same material as How High the Moon. Seat is vinyl.
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1980s Japanese Post-Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Chairs

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Metal

HAL2 Chair by Shiro Kuramata
HAL2 Chair by Shiro Kuramata
H 36.82 in W 16.15 in D 18.9 in
Apple Honey Chair
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Chair
Category

Late 20th Century Shiro Kuramata Chairs

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Apple Honey Chair
Apple Honey Chair
H 28.71 in D 20.01 in

Shiro Kuramata chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Shiro Kuramata chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Shiro Kuramata chairs, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 7 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 2 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original chairs by Shiro Kuramata were created in the modern style in europe during the 1980s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Palecek Furniture, Boris Tabacoff, and René Herbst. Prices for Shiro Kuramata chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,000 and can go as high as $39,360, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $7,500.

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