Review: “Naoto Fukasawa: Embodiment” by Naoto Fukasawa

“I try to design not from the perspective of creating something new, but rather from a viewpoint of helping people realize something that they actually already knew.” Naoto Fukasawa – one of the best-known contemporary Japanese product designers – bears an elegant, profound vision that readily separates him from his peers. This exceptional new volume evidences his wisdom and design prowess that’s been behind more than 100 objects from the last decade.

Comprised of 288 pages and 400 colour illustrations, this book is a marvel. Following a lovely introduction by Jane Fulton Suri, Fukasawa’s essay thoughtfully explores his ideas of countenance and embodiment, gently welcoming readers into his world of furniture, phones, watches, fashion, luggage and accessories that have emerged from his own design company, as well as from IDEO, Muji, Driade, B&B Italia, Samsung, Herman Miller, Issey Miyake and many others.

In addition to products, it includes an up-to-date biography and exhibition list, and is illustrated with never-before-seen photographs and drawings. In a world where hashtags, algorithms and a strange disconnection from the material, tactile world obscure the need for truly thoughtful dialogue and thought, this volume is a must-have for designers and creatives in the 21st century.

Naoto Fukasawa: Embodiment

By Naoto Fukasawa

Phaidon