Isamu Noguchi (b. 1904) was a Japanese American artist known for being as one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Born in Los Angles, California Isamu was the son of an Irish-American mother and a Japanese father who were both writers. In 1906, Noguchi and his family moved to Japan from Los Angeles, California where his mother later decided to send him to La Porte, Indiana to attend boarding school to further his education. Shortly after high school, he became an apprentice to sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who believed Noguchi did not have the talent to succeed as an artist. Devasted by the disapproval of his mentor, Noguchi neglected his passion for art for some time. In 1923, he decided to become a premedical student, enrolling at Columbia University in New York City. Recognizing medicine was not his true passion, he transferred into the Leonardo da Vinci Art School where his talents were soon recognized. After transferring to East Side Art School in New York City, Noguchi won a scholarship to Paris where he worked as a studio assistant for abstract artist Constantin Brancusi.

During his time in Paris, Noguchi was introduced to Alexander Calder and Alberto Giacometti, where he gained an appreciation for abstract art, discovering new representations of form and shape. Grateful to be in Paris during the 1920s, he was able to witness the emergence of Surrealism. The movement greatly influenced Noguchi’s work, and was a way to interpret imagery stemming from dreams during a state of unconsciousness.

In the 1930’s Noguchi began to expand his practice, experimenting with sculptures, landscape architecture, and furniture. Noguchi worked with a wide range of materials, such as paper, metal, stone, wood, and earthenware. As he states in this quote, “Everything is a sculpture. Any material, any idea with hindrance born into space, I consider sculpture.” Embracing all objects, Noguchi managed to turn common materials into art, developing new shapes and forms.

In 1985, Isamu Noguchi opened The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum located in Long Island City, NY. Shortly after, Noguchi passed on December 30, 1988, in New York City. Today, Noguchi’s work can be found in several museums across the nation, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.