Exhibition Preview

The Japanese American National Museum is pleased to be the latest venue for Isamu Noguchi – Sculptural Design, a tribute to one of the twentieth century’s most significant artists. Designed by innovative theater director and designer Robert Wilson, this exhibition allows visitors to experience Isamu Noguchi’s works in a new light through four unique, multi-sensorial installations.

Gallery 1

The exhibition begins in a dark and quiet room filled with designs that Noguchi created for choreographer Martha Graham. Their collaboration spanned four decades and resulted in the production of twenty-one stage sets. One of the works displayed in this gallery is Lyre, a set piece from Orpheus (1948). Additional productions represented here include Errand into the Maze (1947), Judith (1950), and Night Journey (1950).

Lyre - Set element from Orpheus, 1948.
Installation view at the Japanese American National Museum.
Photograph by Norman Sugimoto.

Gallery 2


Installation view at the
Japanese American National Museum.
Photograph by Norman Sugimoto.

The next gallery transitions into a brightly lit, visually striking arrangement of furniture designs and Akari lamps. Noguchi had coined the name Akari–meaning “illuminate” in Japanese–to capture the essence of his paper lamp creations inspired by the night fishing lanterns he saw during a trip to Japan in 1951.

Gallery 3

Robert Wilson’s design for the third gallery is an evocative allusion to the Japanese Zen garden. Classic stone sculptures by Noguchi are set amidst an elegant bed of raked gravel, while a meandering footpath allows visitors to fully experience the beauty and tranquility of the installation.

Installation view at the
Japanese American National Museum.
Photograph by Norman Sugimoto.

Gallery 4

The final space utilizes metallic flooring and bold colors to showcase a selection of Noguchi’s visionary designs. Among the works presented the gallery are: Radio Nurse (1937), an award-winning early model of the nursery intercom; Pierced Table and Pierced Chair (1982), a pair of furniture pieces made from hot-dipped galvanized steel; the famous chrome-plated Portrait Head of R. Buckminster Fuller (1929); and the marble study for Slide Mantra (1966-ca.1985), which Noguchi designed as a playground slide and was shown at the 1986 Venice Biennale.


Installation view at the
Japanese American National Museum.
Photograph by Norman Sugimoto.