After World War II, there came a point when Japan—exhausted by decades of nationalism and long-cloistered by its leaders for fear of cultural dilution—felt a powerful hunger for outside ideas. The artist and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi, the son of a Japanese father and white American mother, was uniquely positioned to introduce ideas that were familiar enough to be accessible, but exotic enough to feel progressive. Growing up in Japan, he was considered American; once he moved back to the This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Two Buy Now Related Stories Design Issue 51 John Pawson From the king of minimalism: “I find the essential and get the design down to a point where you can’t add or subtract from it.” Design Interiors Issue 51 Axel Vervoordt Inside the world of Axel Vervoordt. Design Issue 51 Kim Lenschow The architect who wants to show you how your house works. Design Issue 51 Sean Canty The Harvard professor on architecture as a driver for social change. Design Issue 51 Cult Rooms The Pavilhão de Portugal. Design Issue 49 Marcio Kogan On the pursuit of perfection.
Design Issue 51 John Pawson From the king of minimalism: “I find the essential and get the design down to a point where you can’t add or subtract from it.”
