Japanese interior designer Sori Yanagi was a foremost figure in the field of industrial and interior design. Born in Tokyo in 1915, he made contributions to furniture design, kitchen utensils, heavy bridge constructions and cars.
After graduating from Tokyo Art School, Yanagi moved into general design. His curvaceous Butterfly Stool –designed in 1956 – was modelled on a Japanese Shinto shrine. Indeed, it was this piece that brought the designer international fame and recognition. The Stool won several awards, including the eminent Triennal di Milano Award in 1957 and later joined the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Le Louvre museum in Paris. Even after his sudden death at the end of 2011, Yanagi’s values continues to resonate throughout the design community: universal, lively and legendary.
