Shiro Kuramata produced more than 180 furniture forms during his life. While his designs followed neither Western nor Japanese precedents, they did reflect a certain Japanese aesthetic. Kuramata was truly a pioneer in contemporary design. Although he used numerous subjects and materials, one strong emphasis in his work was his preoccupation with “opposing” or “eliminating” gravity. Today his work is representative of the creative talents of international design. Kuramata was awarded the distinguished Ordre des Arts et des Letters by the French government in 1990.

Yamagiwa has a prestigious reputation for making beautiful reproductions of famous lighting designer’s fixtures. The company was authorized 8 years ago to reproduce the lighting designs of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. A portion of the sales of the Frank Lloyd Wright Collection supports the conservancy and education programs of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation at Taliesin in Wisconsin, and Taliesin West, in Arizona.