Tokujin Yoshioka

Profile and biography

Tokujin Yoshioka was born in Saga Prefecture, Japan in 1967. Since childhood, influenced by Leonardo Da Vinci, learnt painting, such as oil painting, and had particular interest in science.

After graduating from the Kuwasawa Design School in Tokyo in 1986, he studied under the designers Shiro Kuramata and Issey Miyake.

He established Tokujin Yoshioka Inc. in 2000.

By giving figure to various human senses, using immaterialistic elements, such as light, sound and smell, creates expressions that is unique, surpassing the concept of shape.

His work is by no means restricted to the mere recreation of the beauty of nature. By introducing experimental methods into his expressions of natural energy, scientific principles and the elements of natural structure, he creates stunning works which transcend human senses in that those who come in contact with them experience them personally, via their own memory and senses. His works also reflect concept of nature inherently Japanese, pursuing roots of Japanese culture that perceptualize natural energy and aura.

He has designed for Issey Miyake and other global companies such as Cartier, Swarovski, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Toyota, and Lexus, and has been announcing new works at Salone del Mobile Milano(world’s largest international furniture exhibition) in collaboration with Italian furniture brands, including Kartell, Moroso, Glas Italia and Driade.

He has won many international awards, including Design Miami Designer of the Year, presented to a designer who has made the most significant contribution to design globally, Elle Deco International Design Awards Designer of the Year and Milano Design Award.

Chairs created out of natural structure 2001

Paper chair 'Honey-pop' (2000) is a chair that changes shape from plane to three-dimensional. By spreading open a 1 cm layer of 120 layers of thin paper, a honeycomb structure is born, and only when a person sits on it, the shape is fixed and the work is completed. 'PANE chair' (2006) is made like fiberous structure of plants, creating a structure with thin fibers of 1mm intertwining. During the production process, a block made of fibers is placed in a paper duct and put in oven as if baking a bread and by adding heat, the form of chair is shape memorized and completed. Chair made of natural crystals 'Venus - Natural crystal chair' (2008) is a work that is transformed into a chair by growing natural crystals in a water tank to create crystalline structure.

Glass projects 2002

Has announced starting with glass bench 'Water Block' (2002), 'Transparent Japanese House '(2002), 'Chair that disappears in the rain' (2002), 'Waterfall' (2005-2006), 'KOU-AN – Glass Tea House' (2015), 'Water Block-KATANA' (2017). Glass bench 'Water Block' has been exhibited at Musée d'Orsay in Paris since 2011.

Musée d' Orsay, Paris, 2011

At Musée d' Orsay in Paris, participated in renewal project of the Impressionists Gallery. Together with works of representative Impressionists, Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 10 'Water Blocks', glass bench is permanently displayed. It blend in with light painted by the Impressionists painters, creating a space that starts a new conversation between history and contemporary.

Crystallized Project 2008

Natural crystal chair 'Venus - Natural crystal chair' (2008) is a work in which in a water tank, natural crystals are grown to form crystalline structures and transformed into a chair. One music piece creates one painting. With crystal paintings, 'Swan Lake', 'Destiny' and 'Moonlight', music is played during the growth process of crystals and is completed when forms of crystals are changed with the vibrations of sound. 'Rose' is a sculpture crystallizing colour pigments of rose, expressing the energy of life.

Rainbow Church 2010, 2013

Architecture created using more than 500 crystal prisms, the 'Rainbow Church ', focuses on human sense of light perception, and is a work that is completed when a person experiences light. It is an architecture that expresses light itself, filling the space with rainbow colors as light is dispersed by prisms.

Kou-An – Glass Tea House 2011, 2015-2017

At the 54th Venezia Biennnale International Art Exhibition, Glasstress 2011, the collateral event of the 54th La Biennale di Vennezia, the glass tea house – KOU-AN was presented as an architectural project and in 2015, was built on the stage (observation deck) of Shogun-zuka, a mound of Shogun, Seiryu-den, which is a precinct of Tendai Sect Shoren-in Temple. Ao (Blue) Fudo Myo-o statue, a national treasure, one of the three great Fudo, god of fire, is dedicated to Seiryu-den. From its 220 meters altitude big stage, you can enjoy a panoramic view over Kyoto city below. In the year 794, Emperor Kanmu visited this place and appreciating its basin formation (landscape) was convinced that Kyoto is the most suitable place to be designated a capital, initiating construction of the ancient capital city. So, it is said that this is the original point where ancient capital city of Kyoto, a city that symbolizes Japanese culture began.

Representative works

Major exhibitions

Permanent collections

Major awards

2017　Milano Design Award 2017 – Winner (Italy)

Publications, collection of works