tokujin yoshioka: A&W designer of the year 2011

tokujin yoshioka
portrait © designboom


japanese designer tokujin yoshioka has been named 'A&W designer of the year 2011'
by international magazine A&W architektur & wohnen. the award was presented to the
43 year old designer on the occasion of imm cologne 2011 by designer ross lovegrove
and A&W editor-in-chief barbara friedrich. in conjuction with the presentation
of the award is an exhibition which presents a cross-section of his work on show at the
köelnischer kunstverein until january 23rd, 2011.

staged by tokujin yoshioka and hosted by A&W architektur & wohnen,
the exhibition is part of the passagen program of this year's furniture fair.



entrance to the exhibition space
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka


designboom was present for the presentation of the award and vernissage
of tokujin's exhibition which celebrates his practice as a designer.
the foggy scenography set within the museum casts itself over tokujin's work.
each of the pieces on show are displayed only in white, adding to the ghostliness
of the exhibition space. in combination with these elements is the presence of
two illuminated walls opposite the entrance of the exhibition whose luminosity and brightness,
sometimes wash out the existence of the furniture on show, making the objects
almost invisible unless you are standing directly in front of them.
it is almost as if the installation is 'engulfed by clouds'.



general exhibition view
image © designboom


A&W magazine considers the japanese designer to be an 'interpreter of nature'.
he designs furniture which draw on the phenomena and beauty of nature.
'tokujin-san is for us the interpreter of nature, because he combines in his creations,
be it furniture or show installations, natural phenomena with art, culture and technology,
and he probes the effect of his oeuvres on the senses,' elucidated A&W editor-in-chief barbara friedrich
on the choice.


installation view of 'the invisibles' by tokujin yoshioka for kartell
image © designboom
see more about 'the invisibles' here



image © designboom



'ami ami' chair by tokujin yoshioka for kartell
image © designboom
see more on the 'ami ami' chair here



two largely illuminated walls in combination with the foggy atmosphere create an eeriness throughout the exhibition space
image © designboom



image © designboom



image © designboom



'the invisibles' table by tokujin yoshioka for kartell
image © designboom



'the invisibles' chair by tokujin yoshioka for kartell
image © designboom



'panna chair' by tokujin yoshioka for moroso
image © designboom
see more on the 'panna chair' here



'bouquet chair' by tokujin yoshioka for moroso
image © designboom
see more on the 'panna chair' and 'bouquet chair' here



tokujin yoshioka with A&W editor-in-chief barbara friedrich
image © designboom



image © designboom



the exhibition unlit
image © designboom



view of the exhibition from the exterior of the building
image © designboom



köelnischer kunstverein in cologne
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka



tokujin yoshioka with oskar zieta
image © designboom


it was exactly 10 years ago that 2001 A&W designer of the year ross lovegrove
selected tokujin yoshioka for the AUDI mentor prize by A&W.

again in 2011, the award for up-and-coming design by A&W is given by the
A&W designer of the year to emerging talent. as A&W designer of the year,
tokujin yoshioka nominated polish designer oskar zieta for this year's award.
zieta is known for the design process which he calls FiDU (free inner pressure deformation)
in which the edges of flat steel sheets are welded to each other and the high-pressure inflated
that he uses to develop his furniture.



'plopp stools' by oskar zieta
image © designboom



ross lovegrove presenting tokujin yoshioka with this year's award of 'A&W designer of the year'
image © designboom


here are some views of the exhibition space by day,
to give you an idea of the different effect the light and fog have during sunlight hours:


image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka



image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka



image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka



tokujin yoshioka walking through the exhibition
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka