Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Oh, Noguchi! Akari sculpture production process

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The YouTube video  below shows the internal wooden frames used to make one version of the many different Akari sculptures. The sculptures were produced at the Ozeki Jishichi Shoten (later Ozeki & Co., Ltd.), founded in 1891. A company that partnered with Isamu Noguchi to manufacture his Akari sculptures. The video also shows the stringing of bamboo ribbing onto the frames, and then the traditional art of hari (attaching paper) onto the ribbing. Both processes shown were invoked in ancient Japanese lantern-making and used for producing Noguchi’s Akari sculptures. The video concludes with images of several different Akari sculptures that Isamu Noguchi designed. 


In showing the Akari sculpture production process, this YouTube video is consonant with Isamu Noguchi words (2021): 

“I like to show the making of a thing. …A thing that continues to be made as a person looks at it.”



(1951) - Production of Akari light sculptures

https://youtu.be/hQ8SbDJ7Cck 



Reference

Noguchi in his own words. (Nov. 22, 2021). YouTube video. [04:26]. Barbican Center, London, UK. 

https://youtu.be/IbcleKnGEMU


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