In 1951 the Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi began to design the Akari Light Sculptures, a group of works handcrafted out of washi paper that eventually comprised over 100 luminaires – table, floor and ceiling lamps. He chose the name 'Akari‘ for these objects, a word that means 'light‘ in Japanese, connoting both illumination and physical lightness.
- Each luminaire is meticulously crafted by hand in the Ozeki workshop, a traditional family-run company based in Gifu.
- The Akari Light Sculptures are marked with a stylised sun-and-moon logo, which also resembles the corresponding Japanese characters.
- 'The harshness of electricity is thus transformed through the magic of paper back to the light of our origin – the sun – so that its warmth may continue to fi ll our rooms at night.‘ - Isamu Noguchi.