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Japanese designer takes simple approach
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“TO design a soul” is Toshiyuki Kita’s core philosophy.
The world famous furniture and product designer was recently in Shanghai to launch a new line of office furniture with Aurora.
Kita is considered a “national treasure” in Japan, and he has been active on the international design stage for decades.
Born in 1942, Kita was educated in Osaka. In 1969, he expanded his design business to Italy.
He is renowned for a fusion of Eastern and Western elements and his final products are about achieving balance.
His earliest pieces, the Wink Chair and the Kick Table are in the permanent collections of the New York Museum of Modern Art and Hamburg, Germany’s Museum Fur Kunst und Gewerbe. Recent works include Sharp’s Aquos line of LCD televisions and the K10 Dodo recliner.
Now you are shuttling between Osaka and Milan, which city do you think inspires you the most?
Both Milan and Osaka have inspired me and given me new ideas over the years. But in recent years, I can also feel the design wave in Shanghai and other big cities in China, which I believe might bring me some inspiration in the future. I can also get inspiration when visiting small villages and towns.
Can you use three adjectives to describe your design style?
Function, harmony with nature and balance are the three key points when I am designing.
Sometimes it is not easy to balance the function and visual beauty at the same time in a product. If you were to make a choice, which element would you choose to sacrifice a little, function or beauty?
For me, function is paramount. If it only deals with visual beauty then the job could be left to the artist.
What prompted you to cooperate with Aurora Museum?
I met the person in charge at Aurora in 2013 in Milan, perhaps that’s karma.
Among all your designs, which one are you most proud of? Why?
It is so difficult to pick my best work among all my designs. Let me use an example, it is akin to selecting your favorite child among your children.
As a master in industrial design, do you still need to catch the latest trend or information in the area? How do you get such information?
We are living in a world of design with a daunting amount of information available and styles are changing all the time. I get my information when communicating with different people on various occasions.
Do you have any suggestions for Chinese students who plan to choose industrial design as a career?
For students who want a career in design I think it is best if they first consider the feelings of the user and the manufacturer while also being concerned about the earth.
When you are commissioned to design a product, do you feel any pressure?
A better design will bring benefits to both the user and manufacturer. But for me to produce a high-quality product is the most important part of my job. I try to shut out the pressure and focus on what needs to be done.
What do you do in your spare time?
I like to climb mountains and enjoy ordinary family life, or relax with my friends. Sometimes I travel. I hope I can have more interests in other areas.
Do you collect works by other designers?
I don’t display the design work of any designer. I feel if I decorate too much the whole space would be too crowded. Nature creates so many beautiful things with a strong influence on me. If I have to describe who is a master designer, then it is nature.
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