Isamu Noguchi
A sculptor, painter, ceramicist and furniture and lighting designer, Isamu Noguchi was one of the most prolific and protean creative forces of the 20th century and a key figure in the development of organic modernism. Noguchi’s sculptures and designs — his chairs and tables as well as his timeless Akari lamp and other lighting fixtures — share a common spirit: one of lyrical abstraction, tempo and flow and harmonious balance.
Noguchi was born in Los Angeles to an American mother and Japanese father, and spent most of his childhood in Japan. He returned to the United States at age 13, went to high school in Indiana and enrolled at Columbia University to study medicine. At the same time, he took night courses in sculpture.
Within three months, Noguchi left college to pursue art full time. Noguchi was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927 and traveled to Paris to work under Constantin Brancusi. It marked a turning point. Inspired by Brancusi, Noguchi embraced abstraction and began to sculpt in the expressive, rhythmic style that would be the hallmark of his work.
Once back in New York, Noguchi was introduced to design by what would become a lifelong collaboration creating sets for choreographer Martha Graham. His first industrial designs were in Bakelite: the sleek Measured Time kitchen timer created circa 1932, and his famed Zenith Radio Nurse intercom, from 1937.
Ten years later, Herman Miller introduced Noguchi’s now-iconic glass-topped coffee table with an articulated wooden base. His washi paper and bamboo Akari light sculptures, handmade in Japan, debuted in 1951. In the late 1950s, Noguchi designed for Knoll, creating such pieces as his dynamic Cyclone table and rocking stool.
For collectors, Noguchi’s furniture and lighting designs remain his most accessible work — they have the same power and presence that Noguchi brought to his art.
Find vintage Isamu Noguchi floor lamps, table lamps, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
| Average Sold Price |
| $2,810 |
| Styles |
| Materials |
| Related Creators |
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi
Bamboo, Paper
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi
Metal
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi
Steel
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi
Bamboo, Paper
1960s Italian Vintage Isamu Noguchi
Wood
1950s American Vintage Isamu Noguchi
Wood
1990s Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi
Metal
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi
Iron
Popular Searches
Isamu Noguchi Sale Prices
| Sold Date | Sold Price | Category | Material | Creation Year | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| $2,810 |
Average sold price of items in the past 12 months |
| $280-$45,347 |
| Sold price range of items in the past 12 months |
Creators Similar to Isamu Noguchi
Read More
A New Exhibition Spotlights the Nuance of 1940s Art and Design
Works by a range of designers and artists prove that the constraints of the time didn't stifle creativity.
How Noguchi Elevated Ashtrays to Objets d’Art
Smoking might have fallen out of fashion, but these ashtrays have enduring design appeal.
Daniel Rozensztroch Can’t Live with Enough Beautifully Useful Objects
The French designer, stylist and creative director offers an inside look at the cabinets of curiosities he calls home in Paris and Nice.
Explore the Playful Side of Timeless Mid-Century Modern Design
A new exhibit takes a lighthearted look at the work of 40 American designers and architects.