A new Tokyo exhibition explores the various sources of inspiration behind one of the most celebrated (retail) interior designers alive, Masamichi Katayama. The man behind Tokyo-based architecture authority Wonderwall, which is responsible for creating Uniqlo’s retail signature, the Intersect by Lexus spaces, the United Arrows stores in Roppongi and Nagoya, the 2015 Diesel flagship store in New York, Printemps Paris, the Woolrich flagships in Berlin and Tokyo and many, many other stunning projects, is also a recognized collector.
This easily becomes apparent in the Wonderwall studio, which is crammed with his massive collection of books and CDs, antiques that he picks up on his travels, furniture by designers such as Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand and contemporary art by international artists such as Ryan Gander, Simon Fujiwara and Takashi Murakami.
Coinciding with the 25th year of Masamichi Katayama’s design career, the show The Encyclopedia of Masamichi Katayama ‘Life is hard... Let's go shopping.’ features Katayama’s personal collection, displayed in a museum setting.
“It’s eclectic. There’s no principle behind it. The stuff that I encounter messes me around, makes me cringe, impacts my work and my life and makes me envious. Over the years I’ve thrown around a lot of money in order to somehow overcome that sense of inferiority”, says Masamichi Katayama about his “encyclopedia”.
The show will run until Sunday, June 25, 2017, at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery.
Take a digital walk through Katayama's "encyclopedia" here:
Life is hard... Let’s go shopping.
Related news:
