Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
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.
1990s German Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
20th Century Italian Modern Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Early 2000s American Modern Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1980s Japanese Minimalist Vintage Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Stainless Steel
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1990s Swiss Modern Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Plastic
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
2010s Swiss Modern Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century German Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1990s German Modern Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
1980s German Modern Vintage Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Shiro Kuramata Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fabric, Plastic
