01 Chair
Manufactured by Cappellini
Italy, 1979
Painted tubular steel, mesh steel seat and backrest
Measurements
50 × 52 × 78h cm
19,7 × 20,5 × 30,7h in
Provenance
Private collection, Japan
About
The 01 Chair is a striking example of postmodern minimalism by renowned Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata. Originally designed in 1979, this version was reissued by Italian manufacturer Living Divani before being discontinued, making it a rare collector's piece.
With its geometric clarity and industrial materiality, the chair exemplifies Kuramata’s ability to balance delicacy and structure. The steel mesh seat and backrest give the chair a sense of lightness, while the tubular frame outlines its silhouette with graphic precision. The updated dimensions of this re-edition subtly enhance comfort without compromising the original’s sculptural intent.
Biography
Shiro Kuramata (b.1934 - d.1991) was one of Japan’s most influential and visionary designers of the 20th century. Born in Tokyo in 1934, he studied architecture and design at the Tokyo Polytechnic and later at the Kuwasawa Design School. In 1965, he established the Kuramata Design Office, from which he developed an avant-garde body of work that challenged the conventions of material, form, and function.
Kuramata's designs, often situated at the intersection of art and design, are characterized by their use of industrial materials such as acrylic, aluminum, and steel mesh, combined with an ethereal, poetic sensibility. He had a deep interest in transparency, lightness, and the dissolution of structure, reflecting a uniquely Japanese minimalism tempered by Western postmodern experimentation.
Throughout his career, Kuramata collaborated with major figures such as Issey Miyake and Ettore Sottsass, joining the latter in the founding of the Memphis Group in 1981. His iconic works—including the How High the Moon armchair and the Miss Blanche chair—are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the V&A Museum, and the Vitra Design Museum, among others.
