Toshiyuki Kita Overview

When Toshiyuki Kita graduated from Naniwa College, Osaka, in 1964, he immediately became a furniture designer. After working in Italy for designers Mario Bellini and Silvio Coppola, he quickly built a reputation as one of the "most European" of Japanese designers.... [more]

When Toshiyuki Kita graduated from Naniwa College, Osaka, in 1964, he immediately became a furniture designer. After working in Italy for designers Mario Bellini and Silvio Coppola, he quickly built a reputation as one of the "most European" of Japanese designers. This reputation stands today, as he continues to receive commissions on both continents. Kita's most famous design is his 1980 "Wink" chair. This cartoonish lounger transforms the simple, foldable patio chair into a floppy piece of fun. With its candy-colored covers, a Gumby-like bendable headrest, and a footrest that folds under like a fin, Kita's chair is typical of the loud design aesthetic popular in the 1980s. The "Wink" chair and the later "Kick" table (resembling a bright, primary-colored bicycle seat) joined the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York soon after their completion in the early '80s. These animated but functional pieces won Kita a Product Design Award from the Institute of Business Designers in 1985. In 1988, Kita collaborated seamlessly with whimsical artist Keith Haring to create the "On Taro" and "On Giro" tables for Kreon. Kita has proven adept at both the small and large scales, designing everything from eyeglasses to the "Ibuki" monument in Wakayama. [show less]