Master of modern Japanese design Shiro Kuramata is best known for the poetic, often humorous designs he makes from modern industrial materials. His de-materialized artworks appear to break free from gravity and suggest a state of surreal, continuous suspension, as exemplified in the innovative Glass chair. Inspired by friend and Italian designer Ettore Sottsass’s playful spirit and love of color, Kuramata joined the design group Memphis when Sottsass founded it in 1981.