All posts tagged: Isamu Noguchi

Isamu Noguchi at White Cube Hong Kong

Isamu Noguchi A Feeling Sep 12 – Oct 18, 2025Preview: Thursday, Sep 11; exhibition tour at 5pm followed by Champagne Reception until 8pm White Cube Hong Kong50 Connaught Road, Central Hong Kong+852 2592 2000Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 7pm whitecube.com White Cube presents the first solo exhibition in Hong Kong by Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), exploring the profound influence that Chinese master painter Qi Baishi (1864–1957) had on his artistic development. Noguchi first encountered the work of Qi Baishi during a visit to Beijing in the early 1930s. At the time, Qi was renowned as a pioneering artist who was bringing Chinese ink painting to a global audience. The two struck up a friendship, and, following Qi’s guidance, Noguchi created the ‘Peking Brush Drawings’ – expressive, figurative ink-and-brush works. A selection of these early large-scale drawings from the collection of The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York, will be exhibited at White Cube alongside original works on paper by Qi himself. The exhibition also traces the lasting impact of calligraphic forms on Noguchi’s sculptural practice, culminating in a selection of constructed bronze …

Bridesmaids and photographers photographing a bridal couple on Isamu Noguchi’s ‘Playscape’ sculpture, M+ Rooftop Garden, West Kowloon, Hong Kong, 12 February 2023.

Published by Artomity Magazine

Playscape is one of many sculptures for playgrounds that American-Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) intentionally designed (but rarely realised) for children to climb on and play around. A selection of these sculptures are displayed on the M+ museum’s rooftop. The stepped concrete form of Playscape, looking more pyramid than rectangle, comprises blocks and in-between voids. There is an element of risk if jumping across one block to another; the gap is slightly more hazardous than safe, and a missed jump could result in a six-metre fall to ground. But, no-one falls. The M+ rooftop, lobby, Mediatheque of videos to watch, and the basement Found Space are all free entry within the non-payment areas of the museum. Consequently, the rooftop has become a favoured spot for wedding photography, including for couples travelling from the mainland. The rooftop offers contrasting scenes. Bisected into two halves by the tall inverted ‘T’ of the building’s large LED screen, the ‘front’ – the Victoria Harbour side – of the rooftop has magnificent waterfront views looking towards Hong Kong island and …

Danh Vō, Isamu Noguchi

Published by Artomity Magazine

Noguchi for Danh Vō: Counterpoint / M+ Pavilion / Hong Kong / Dec 27 – Jan 10 / Christine Chan Chiu / Noguchi for Danh Vō: Counterpoint, the eighth show staged at M+ Pavilion, brought together the diverse works of two artists, Danh Vō and the late Isamu Noguchi. The word “counterpoint” refers to the two artists’ works being independent but possessing the ability to be interdependent, creating a harmonious rapport when juxtaposed. The exhibition lived up to its musical metaphor and more, highlighting the talent and ingenuity of one artist while exploring the imaginative, multi-layered approach of the other. Inspired by a leitmotif in traditional Chinese ink painting, Vō’s Untitled (Structure for Akari PL2) (2018), modelled after a Chinese Dong pavilion, took centre stage in the main gallery. Flanked and illuminated by Noguchi’s famous Akari lamps, visitors were encouraged to sit and rest there. Parallels soon became clear between Vō’s pavilion and Noguchi’s lamps: both are made from wood (cedar and bamboo respectively), are affordable, easily dismantled and rebuilt, and most importantly stand alone as sculptures in their own right, redefining their surrounding spaces. …