An extremely diverse and multi-faceted artist, Isamu Noguchi saw no distinction between fine and applied arts. He successfully synthesized art and design, and East and West, with a passionately innovative vision. Noguchi's famous modern classic furniture creations reflect the rich cultural and philosophical influences he embraced throughout his prolific career.

Noguchi made his way to Paris in 1927, and there he became an apprentice to the master abstract sculptor Constantin Brancusi. It was there, in Brancusi's studio, that Noguchi's predisposition for simple forms and love of natural materials and tools, which he had discovered as a child in Japan, found expression.