Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi is the designer of the Akari Light Sculptures, a group of works handcrafted out of washi paper that eventually comprised over luminaires – table, floor and ceiling lamps. He chose the name‚ akari for these objects, a word that means‚ light in Japanese, connecting both illumination and physical lightness.
'The harshness of electricity is thus transformed through the magic of paper back to the light of our origin – the sun – so that its warmth may continue continue to fill our rooms at night.' Isamu Noguchi
Each luminaire is meticulously crafted by hand in the Ozeki workshop, a traditional family-run company based in Gifu. In a first step, bamboo rods are stretched across the original wooden forms designed by Noguchi to make the framework that determines the object‘s shape. Washi paper, derived from the bark of the mulberry tree, is cut into strips and then glued to the bamboo ribbing. After the glue has dried, the wooden form is removed and the shade can be folded.
The Akari Light Sculptures are marked with a stylised sun-and-moon logo, which also resembles the corresponding Japanese characters. This symbol guarantees the authenticity of each product.
