...lightness and gravity, and between the material and the immaterial; these boundaries vibrate in his design and produce a quiet and contemplative atmosphere of an aesthetic gentle humanness that is best described as refined poetry. The unique poetic characteristics of Kuramata's designs verify their character as both art and design. Function becomes secondary when experiencing his chairs, which act on several levels, other than physical conforms and functionalism. Kuramata's can be appreciated purely visually. Feathers and red roses floating harmoniously and eternally in acrylic create a sensation of deep aesthetic pleasure that touches the very essence of our soul. His chairs are sculptural and yet functional, his materials are man made yet crafted, his skill was human yet otherworldly, his being quite yet determined. What a loss he left us so young, yet, his work can still evoke that sense of marvel and wonder, as any true artist/designer can evoke and aspire to, "Leaving the world a little better place than he came into it" (Paul Klee). Paul Hughes |