Jesse James
The one and only Futura is back in the news feed. After showcasing an exhibition of paintings at Eric Firestone Gallery in New York City, he’s back at it again. This time around, the artist is gearing for another special exhibition, which will take place at The Noguchi Museum in Queens. Futura will soon unveil a series of hand-painted Akari light sculptures. Isamu Noguchi designed the sculptures from 1952-86. Inspiration for the sculptures dates back to 1951 when the artist took a trip to Hiroshima in Japan.
He watched the paper lanterns called chochin, while the mayor of the city requested the artist help the lantern industry. Noguchi was commissioned to create a number of lanterns, going on to design over 200 models.
Senior Curator of the Noguchi Museum, Dakin Hart, spoke about the inspiration behind the designs. He stated: “Akari inspires many people to contribute creatively to what Noguchi called their ‘self-generative cycle.’ Owning Akari is like having and tending a garden; it’s a way to stay in touch with nature and the world. We are excited to see where Futura—like Noguchi, an open-to-the-world boundary-crosser—will take them.”
The museum is also hosting a limited-capacity book signing and print release event to commemorate the publication of FUTURA: The Artist’s Monograph. Check out the Noguchi Museum’s official website to find out more right now. In the meantime, keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more from the art department coming very soon.
Photos via The Noguchi Museum
