"How High the Moon" Armchair by Shiro Kuramata

In 1988, the Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata created a masterpiece with "How High the Moon," exploring the boundaries of art, design, and philosophy. This chair, produced by Vitra, is a reflection on the nature and function of seating.

At first glance, "How High the Moon" appears as a conventional armchair. However, Kuramata breaks this impression by crafting the chair from steel mesh without traditional framing or support structures. This reduction gives it an almost transparent, dematerialized appearance, creating a tense relationship between form and function. The reflective property of the steel mesh enhances this impression, giving the chair an almost fragile aura.

The chair is not just an aesthetic statement, but also a challenge to conventional furniture designs. "How High the Moon" adopts the Western iconography of the armchair, an almost unknown piece of furniture in traditional Japanese design world, and questions the resilience and thus the definition of a functional piece of furniture.

"How High the Moon" is thus more than a seat; it is a work of art that stimulates reflection. Kuramata uses the form of the chair to pose philosophical questions about materiality, form, and function. In its design, the chair combines art and design and invites us to rethink our usual perspectives on everyday objects. With this work, Kuramata impressively demonstrates how design can transcend function and become a deeper, more meaningful experience.

Photos: © Sotheby's (sothebys.com)