Noguchi Akari Light Sculptures
In 1951, Isamu Noguchi began looking the age old traditions of Japanese lantern making in a new way. It was “… a logical convergence of my long interest in light, sculptures, lunars and my being in Japan…” Combining paper and bamboo to enhance the quality and sensibility of light – his Akari sculptures celebrated the “…less thingness of things”.
The name Akari means light as illumination in Japanese. It also suggest lightness in contrast to weight. Noguchi designed the sculptures as though they hardly exist – to the extent that they can be folded and put away when not in use. They do not encumber, they illuminate and as such have become an icon of midcentury design.
