Table Clock model "Atari"
Manufactured by Ateria
Japan, 1980s
Plastic, Acrylic, Iron

Measurements
16 x 7 x 35h cm
6,3 x 2,8 x 13,8h in

Provenance
Private collection, Japan

About
Table clock with a dynamic postmodern design. The piece features an adjustable circular head and angled base, allowing the clock face to tilt. Characterized by bold geometric volumes and a vivid color palette, it exemplifies Japanese design experimentation of the 1980s. Originally created for the brand Ateria, this model stands out as one of the most emblematic collectible clocks from Japan’s postmodern period.

Biography
Takashi Kato (b.1950s) is a Japanese designer known for his distinctive contributions to product and industrial design since the early 1980s. Working at the intersection of precision engineering and expressive form, Kato rose to prominence through a series of collaborations with leading Japanese manufacturers, most notably Lemnos and Ateria. His clocks from this period reflect a deep engagement with the visual language of postmodernism, merging sculptural geometry with playful material contrasts and color experimentation.
Kato’s work captures the aesthetic spirit of 1980s Japan, a time of design optimism and international dialogue. He belongs to a generation influenced by both the refinement of traditional Japanese design and the exuberance of global movements such as Memphis in Italy. This is visible in his use of modular shapes, saturated tones, and unexpected material juxtapositions.
Among his most celebrated works are the Sessa Pendulum Clock for Lemnos, a minimalist kinetic sculpture that blurs the boundary between timekeeping and art, and the Arteria Table Clock, a bold icon of Japanese postmodernism and a prized collectible in contemporary design circles.
Throughout his career, Kato’s work has exemplified an ongoing dialogue between function and form, minimalism and expressiveness. Though relatively underrepresented in Western design histories, his clocks remain highly sought after by collectors and institutions with a growing interest in late 20th-century Japanese design.