The Institute of Southeast Asian Arts at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts hosts the Singapore leg of a touring exhibition which traces the life and works of prolific Japanese designer, Sori Yanagi. The retrospective celebrates the designer’s centennial, and is organized in collaboration with Singapore-based design company Industry+, together with design collective, Outofstock. The exhibition moves on to Hong Kong and Taipei after the Singapore showcase.

Featuring prototypes of his highly acclaimed designs such as the iconic Butterfly Stool and the Elephant Stool, this exhibition also presents the vast repertoire of Yanagi’s designs from public sculpture and bridges to the Olympic Torch, as well as his series of anonymous designs in prints.

The exhibition also marks the launch of ‘Essays by Sori Yanagi’, a highly anticipated account of his design philosophies available in English. These reflect the minimalism and simplicity Yanagi emphasised in his designs, as well as the form and function of his constructions that have assimilated harmoniously into our common use, popular culture and everyday life.