1. Isao Hosoe moved from Tokyo to Milan in 1967, two
years after completing his degree in Aerospace
Engineering at Nihon University in Tokyo, to work
together with Giò Ponti and Alberto Rosselli and where
he chose to live, marry and have children. In 1985 he set
up his own professional design studio under the name
of “Isao Hosoe Design” which created a ‘platform’ for
this qualitative and unconventional designer to work
with some of the major international companies to
whom he brought a refreshing, innovative approach to
industrial design. This provided the opportunity to
infuse Japanese culture into the process of Italian
design. Some examples of this innovative approach to
design can be found in Tonelli furniture.
Throughout his career, Isao Hosoe received numerous
design awards including severel Compasso d’Oro ADI,
the Gold Medal at the Triennial Exhibition of Milan, the
IF Award, the Japan Good Design Award and, on no less
than six occasions, the Chicago Athenaeum’s ‘Good
Design Award, , whilst at the same time he exhibited at
an international level on several occassions. It is worth
noting that his designs are of such quality and
uniqueness that they are on permanent display at the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Pompidou
Centre in Paris, in Chicago and also in Milan.
Isao Hosoe was also actively involved in teaching and
research at numerous top European Universities which
included “La Sapienza” in Rome, Les Ateliers in Paris,
Elisawa in Barcelona and the University of Lisbon, while
as a writer Hosoe was co-author of the book “Playoffice”
(1991,G.C. Press, Tokyo), and also had numerous
other publications to his name.
There are many complimentary articles written about
Isao Hosoe with one of his most famous quotations
being of how “design must act as a bridge between the
material world and the human world”. His approach,
through the application of technology, sought to create
such a balance in relation to ergonomics, the 5 senses.
Form and function in a way that reflects the character of
today’s society and beyond.