In Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows (1933), the Japanese author dissects the use of light in the east and west. Of the east, he writes, “We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.” Later, he adds, “In making for ourselves a place to live, we first spread a parasol to throw a shadow on the earth, and in the pale light of the shadow, we put together a house.”
These ideas informed Japanese American artist and architectural designer Isamu Noguchi, known for his masterful approach to sculpture. Throughout his multidisciplinary career, he designed playgrounds and gardens in addition to furniture, which included tables, sofas, and Akari light sculptures—most of which are still in production today. Noguchi created the Akari series, a term meaning “light as illumination,” after observing traditional lantern construction in Gifu, Japan. Similar to Tanizaki, Noguchi once mused, “All that you require to start a home are a room, a tatami, and Akari.”
From this point of view, which regards objects sculpturally in relation to light and space, we can understand the continued relevance of Noguchi’s works. His pieces are a mainstay of stylish yet practical homes, Pinterest boards, museum collections, and art galleries. Search the #noguchi hashtag on social media and you’ll find thousands of images celebrating his classic designs. In response to the challenges of the last two years, Noguchi’s pieces have earned even more appreciation for their uplifting and engaging qualities. Made during his own era of global upheaval, they continue to inspire contemplation, action, and joy.
The stewards of Noguchi’s legacy at the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, in Queens, are used to noticing these contextual shifts. “In a time of great trauma and anxiety in the world, Noguchi’s works are instruments of power and focus,” Brett Littman, a director and curator, says. “Perhaps this is why they are being embraced and recognized again as dynamic and instructive rather than as modernist static objects to be forgotten.”