takeshi miyakawa: light installation for tokyo designboom mart

tokyo designboom mart installation by takeshi miyakawa image © designboom

the 2012 tokyo designboom mart is illuminated by a special lighting installation specially designed by takeshi miyakawa for this specific occasion.

for the new york design week, earlier this year, the brooklyn-based designer worked on a light installation inside the furniture fair (ICFF) commissioned by designboom for our annual NYC mart exhibition. our readers may remember that on may 19th, takeshi was arrested while installing an ‘I (heart) new york’ lighting project in the city, for allegedly ‘planting false bombs’ in manhattan and williamsburg, brooklyn. he spent five days in jail at riker’s island and designboom collaborated with the local design community and initiated a takeshi miyakawa wiki page and a petition to free him. in the following 3 days the petition saw more than 2000 signatures and on may 23rd takeshi was released from custody without bail. once again, on behalf of takeshi and his studio, we thank all our readers for their support. it took him a while to overcome this experience, but now he is back on the design track and just created a wonderful new piece for designboom and all the young talents that make up the tokyo designboom mart.

the large white cylindrical drum, its interior ring emblazoned in red, hangs as a beacon above our mart exhibition, defining our space from the rest of the presentations. the intention of takeshi’s design is that when people look upwards at the suspended lamp, they see the symbol of the japanese flag, standing as a reminder of place and the happenings which the country has recently experienced. the light comes is a formal continuation of takeshi’s ‘red eclipse’ table which he developed as a response to the 2011 tsunami that ravaged the southeast asian country. he produced the furniture piece in a limited edition of 10, with proceeds of the sales going towards humanitarian relief work.

as visitors look upwards at the hanging lamp, they are reminded of the japanese flag image © designboom