Isamu Noguchi Lighting
A sculptor, painter, ceramicist and furniture and lighting designer, Isamu Noguchi was one of the most prolific and protean creative forces of the 20th century and a key figure in the development of organic modernism. Noguchi’s sculptures and designs — his chairs and tables as well as his timeless Akari lamp and other lighting fixtures — share a common spirit: one of lyrical abstraction, tempo and flow and harmonious balance.
Noguchi was born in Los Angeles to an American mother and Japanese father, and spent most of his childhood in Japan. He returned to the United States at age 13, went to high school in Indiana and enrolled at Columbia University to study medicine. At the same time, he took night courses in sculpture.
Within three months, Noguchi left college to pursue art full time. Noguchi was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927 and traveled to Paris to work under Constantin Brancusi. It marked a turning point. Inspired by Brancusi, Noguchi embraced abstraction and began to sculpt in the expressive, rhythmic style that would be the hallmark of his work.
Once back in New York, Noguchi was introduced to design by what would become a lifelong collaboration creating sets for choreographer Martha Graham. His first industrial designs were in Bakelite: the sleek Measured Time kitchen timer created circa 1932, and his famed Zenith Radio Nurse intercom, from 1937.
Ten years later, Herman Miller introduced Noguchi’s now-iconic glass-topped coffee table with an articulated wooden base. His washi paper and bamboo Akari light sculptures, handmade in Japan, debuted in 1951. In the late 1950s, Noguchi designed for Knoll, creating such pieces as his dynamic Cyclone table and rocking stool.
For collectors, Noguchi’s furniture and lighting designs remain his most accessible work — they have the same power and presence that Noguchi brought to his art.
Find vintage Isamu Noguchi floor lamps, table lamps, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Paper
1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Paper
1990s Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Cut Steel
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Iron
Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
Late 20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
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21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
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1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
2010s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Iron
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Anglo-Japanese Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Anglo-Japanese Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Cherry, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Anglo-Japanese Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Anglo-Japanese Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Anglo-Japanese Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Metal
Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
1970s Japanese Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Iron
1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Steel
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Isamu Noguchi Lighting
Bamboo, Paper
Isamu Noguchi lighting for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Isamu Noguchi
- Where can I buy a Noguchi lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Noguchi’s iconic Akari Light Sculptures are available directly through Noguchi’s own shop. Vintage editions of the lamps are available online through many different retailers and platforms, including on 1stDibs. Shop a collection of vintage and contemporary Isamu Noguchi pieces on 1stDibs.
- How are Noguchi lamps made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Noguchi lamps are made using the inner bark of a Mulberry tree. Washi paper is then cut into strips and glued onto both sides of the bamboo-ribbed framework. You’ll find a selection of Noguchi lamps from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.