kazuhiro yamanaka's first solo exhibition at the power station of art in shanghai

the power station of art (PSA) museum in shanghai presents the first solo exhibition of japanese product/interior designer kazuhiro yamanaka. running from march 3rd to may 2nd, 2017, the ‘visible x invisible’ show will reveal the cross-disciplinary and creative practices of yamanaka — a man who constantly challenges the boundaries between product design, lighting and pure art. the exhibition will feature fourteen of his most representative works, including one thousand nights (2006), a dynamic lighting installation and collapsible moon (2016) which is specially commissioned for this event. 

corridor right before the exhibition space / poster design by wang xu
all images © kenta hasegawa

kazuhiro yamanaka is known for developing a poetry of minimalism with common materials such as paper or plastic, as seen in his works like handkerchief light (1999), it’s only a paper moon (2012), and paper torch (2013). in the end, his pieces are presented as flexible yet simple geometric shapes. such an aesthetic expression further reveals a clear but tasteful poetry in the complicated daily life. just as yamanaka once said, ‘designers should contemplate how to create a maximum impact with minimum use of material’. with a space designed by little inc. and lighting effects completed by Y2 lighting design, the showrooms at the PSA museum ultimately reflect yamanaka’s lyrical vision and techniques adopted in his different collections.

entrance to the ‘visible x invisible’ exhibition 

for the designer, creativity usually stems come from the relation between objects. he believes that any physical body is meaningless compared to the space around it: therefore, he uses objects as tools to design its surroundings. in the end, this philosophy has become yamanaka’s most important task. when it comes to furniture pieces like sleepy lagoon (2009), how slow the wind – chair (2001), and in autumn sunshine (2009), yamanaka used planes and lines — as well as  cutting, squeezing and slitting — to emphasize three-dimensional depth and strong visual presence. 

a translucent fabric to see through the works in the next space

this contemplation about objects can also be identified in his designs of lighting and lit furniture. having an important impact on our daily senses, light — with its strong dominating power — enforces a natural-born awe on mankind even though it has no physical shapes. by recreating light rays through a medium, yamanaka gives that source an essential existence in space and connects it to the different objects present through a share physical tension. 

view from the front door at the PSA museum

to put it briefly, the most valuable things are always invisible while visible things become less valuable. therefore, through yamanaka’s designs, the unseen relations between objects is brought to light — completely altering viewer’s perception of what invisibility truly is.. 

the showroom reflects the poetic and minimalist vision of yamanaka

kazuhiro yamanaka sets up the rock garden lamp

‘it’s only a paper moon lamp’ (2012)

the PSA building renovated and designed by atelier FCJZ

‘one thousand nights’ (2006) lighting installation 

power station of art museum in shanghai

project info:

space design: saori miwa from little inc.
lighting design: yuko yamashita from Y2 lighting design
graphic design: wang xu
poster photo: tian kai

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom