Isamu Noguchi (1904 – 1988) was a very famous architect from Japan, but born in Los Angeles making him a Japanese American. He completed his high school studies in the United States. After that, he started working as an apprentice at Connecticut. He was working for Gutzon Borglum, who, at that time, was busy with some works regarding equestrian sculptures for New Jersey. For the same reason, Isamu got training as a sculptor from Borglum.

In 1922, Isamu resigned the job and moved to New York City to enroll as a paramedical student at Columbia University. To complete his studies there, he was getting financial help from Dr. Rumely. He then met a bacteriologist named Hideyo Noguchi, who advised him to continue his arts career rather than looking for other careers in which he didn’t have that much expertise as he did in the case of arts. At last he planned to take night classes at the Leonardo da Vinci Art School. After his mother’s advice to return back to his original career, he decided on this career path. Even while he was taking night classes, he was still enrolled in the Columbia University. After about 3-4 months he discontinued going to Columbia University, because he wanted to pursue sculpture studies. At this time he changed his name from Gilmour to Noguchi.

In 1926 he applied for Guggenheim Fellowship, and he was granted the same even though he was short of 3 years from the minimum age requirement. In the application he insisted that he wanted to study about stone and wood cutting. He was also interested in getting deeper knowledge regarding the human figure.

Isamu had contributed a lot to the world. Some of his great works are the Japanese Garden in France, Red Cube in New York, Bayfront Park in Florida, and the “Landscape of the Cloud” in New York.

Cyclone Dining Table
The Noguchi Coffee Table
Isamu Noguchi Freeform Sofa