photo: Kenichi Yamaguchi

Noriko Kawakami Joined the editorial department of AXIS, Tokyo, working on AXIS magazine. In 1994, she became an independent journalist. Her writing covers a wide range of design-related issues. 

Since 2007, Kawakami has been Associate Director of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, involved in co-planning of exhibition alongside the museum's three Directors, Issey Miyake, Taku Satoh and Naoto Fukasawa.

Other Curating work includes 《Japanese Design Today 100》(currently on world tour),

《Japon-Japonismes. Objets inspirés, 1867-2018》（Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 2018-2019）and 《Yasuhiro Suzuki: A Journey Around the Neighbourhood Globe》(London Design Biennale, 2016).

She is Guest Professor in Department of Industrial, Interior and Craft Design,

and concurrently Lecturer in Department of Scenography, Display and Fashion Design, Musashino Art University.  Also Lecturer at Nagaoka Institute of Design, and Kuwasawa Design School. Kawakami is a member of the Board of Directors of Tama Art University. 

□ Instagram  noriko_kawakami

photo: Yasuhiro Suzuki

Kawakami is engaged in the planning of domestic and overseas design-related exhibition including all those held at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT. She appeared in panels and discussion events related to these shows, and delivers lectures on them.

 NEWS

Exhibition

Visionaries: Making Another Perspective

Noriko Kawakami curated the exhibition 

《Visionaries: Making Another Perspective 》at Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, March 9 to June 4, 2023.

Exhibition Information Link

- Article of design boom about this exhibition (March, 2023)

- Article of Studio International  (May, 2023)

- Article of Champ Magazine (June, 2023)

Related Talk Event was held at Hall of the Kyoto simbun (news paper) .

May 21, 2023, Speaker:  

Noriko Kawakami

Takahiro Iwasaki (artist) 

Nao Tamura (designer)

Yoshiyuki Miyamae / A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE

Satoshi Yoshiizumi  / TAKT PROJECT

Genta Ishizuma (artist) 

Kengo Takahashi (artist) 

ASAHIKAWA DESIGN WEEK 2023

A related symposium was the main accompanying event, held in the Citizens' Hall in Asahikawa city, Hokkaido, one of the UNESCO Design cities .

Keynote speech: Paola Antonelli, MoMA

Panel discussion: Toshiko Mori, architect and professor at Harvard University, Shunsuke Managi, Professor at Kyusyu University and 

Toru Iwasa, a creative director.

Noriko Kawakami served as moderator for the

panel discussion.

June 21, 2023

Exhibition

Japanese Design Today 100

A related Talk Event was held at the International Liaison Center, Tokyo Midtown Design Hub, organized by The Japan Foundation.

Speaker: Masafumi Fukagawa, 

Noriko Kawakami

May 24, 2023, 14:00 - 15:00

Exhibitioin 

Tadanori Yokoo: The Artists 

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Galley 3 

July 21 - October 17, 2021

The exhibition was organized by the Foundation Cartier pour l'art contemporain and curated by Hervé Chandès and Béatrice Grenier.

21_21 was involved as special cooperator.

Noriko Kawakami participated  in the production of Noriaki Okamoto's  film where she interviewed Yokoo at his atelier.  

Film Link 

Exhibition information

The Foundation Cartier commissioned a film as a part of public programme on the theme of the Japanese architect Junya Ishigami and Japanese photofrapher Rinko Kawauchi. Kawakami appears in the capacity of interviewer.

ISHIGAMI Film Link

KAWAUCHI Film Link