Noguchi to Asawa : Designing Postwar America – Edited by Cindy Kang
An illuminating exploration of the Japanese American artists and designers whose work helped define post-war American design and continues to influence architecture, craft, and visual culture today.
Beauty, innovation, and exceptional craftsmanship are hallmarks of mid-century Japanese American art and design. From Isamu Noguchi's iconic furniture and landscapes to Ruth Asawa's pioneering wire sculptures, a generation of artists and designers reshaped the creative landscape of post-war America. Yet their achievements emerged against the backdrop of a profoundly challenging history: the forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans during the Second World War.
Noguchi to Asawa: Designing Postwar America re-examines the work of six influential figures through this historical lens, revealing how personal experience, identity, and displacement informed some of the most significant contributions to twentieth-century design. The publication features sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi, architect and furniture maker George Nakashima, sculptor Leo Amino, graphic designer S. Neil Fujita, fibre artist Kay Sekimachi, and sculptor Ruth Asawa.
Drawing on essays, archival material, and interviews with family members and contemporaries, the book offers fresh insights into the creative processes and enduring legacies of these remarkable practitioners. Beyond individual biographies, it explores broader themes of migration, labour, representation, and cultural identity, situating their work within the wider history of modern design in America.
Richly illustrated and thoughtfully researched, this is an essential volume for readers interested in modern architecture, furniture design, craft, landscape, and the social history that shaped post-war creative practice.
Authors: Genji Amino, Anne Anlin Cheng, Aiko Cuneo, S. Neil Fujita, Linda Kim, Marci Kwon, Kolleen Ku, Addie Lanier, Kimi Maru, Mira Nakashima, Kay Sekimachi and Brandon Shimoda. Edited by Cindy Kang
Publisher: Barnes Foundation
Format: Hardback
Pages: 242
ISBN: 9780300292053
Publication date: August 2026