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

‘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

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.