A Japanese Designer Active Worldwide, Based in London

In this talk event, designer Kenmei Nagaoka will engage in conversation with the guest, while architect Takayoshi Hiranuma will moderate the session. The series aims to explore design from a cross-disciplinary perspective, discussing current sentiments within each speaker's field.

The third installment of the designer series features Tomoko Azumi, a globally recognized Japanese interior designer. She formed the design unit "AZUMI" in London in 1995, and after its dissolution in 2005, established her current studio. Her work spans exhibition and retail space design, as well as product design for furniture, lighting, and jewelry.

Her early signature work, the Table=Chest, a chest that transforms into a table, was selected for permanent display at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Geffrye Museum in the UK due to its unique design. Her "Mushi-Cap" optical insect trap won the Good Design Award in Japan in 2008. Azumi consistently creates products that are functional, highlight the inherent qualities of their materials, and convey a clear concept.

This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from the designer about her works, creative process, and methods. It promises to be an engaging event where participants can also connect and interact.



D&DEPARTMENT x AAF Lecture Series
Continuous Talk Event (Designer Series)
Tomoko Azumi x Kenmei Nagaoka x Takayoshi Hiranuma
Date | Saturday, March 15, 2014
Time | Doors Open 18:30 / Start 19:00 - End 20:30
Reception | 20:30 - 21:30
Guest | Tomoko Azumi
Speaker | Kenmei Nagaoka
Moderator | Takayoshi Hiranuma
Venue | D&DEPARTMENT OSAKA 4F
2-9-14 Minami-Horie, Nishi-ku, Osaka-fu
Admission Fee | 1000 Yen
Registration | Via website
www.d.aaf.ac

Art and Architect Festival (NPO)
www.aaf.ac

Tomoko Azumi
Born in Hiroshima in 1966. Principal of TNA Design Studio (London). Furniture, lighting, and interior designer. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Design from Kyoto City University of Arts, she worked at an architectural firm in Tokyo before moving to the UK to pursue a Master's degree in Furniture Design at the Royal College of Art. In 2005, she dissolved the design unit "AZUMI," which she started in London in 1995, and established her current studio. Alongside designing exhibition and retail spaces, she provides designs for furniture, lighting, and jewelry for companies in Europe, including the UK, and Japan. Her notable projects include furniture for the UK Supreme Court (2009), the interior for the Harrys of London shoe store, and the Carry Stool for Ishinomaki Laboratory (2013). Since 2006, she has been a visiting lecturer in the Design Product and Interior Design departments at the Royal College of Art. Her works are held in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Geffrye Museum, among others.