Isamu was born in 1904 in Los Angeles to a Japanese father and Irish-American mother. He grew up in Japan ages 2-13. He then went to the US and attended high school in Indiana, first at Rolling Prairie and La Porte. He started his career as an artist in New York with a studio in Greenwich village. From there, his work took him all over the world.
In 1942, he voluntarily entered the Poston War Relocation Center to establish art enrichment programs for internees, but was not permitted to leave for six months.
In 1947, he began a collaboration with the Herman Miller company and designed modern furniture, including the famous Noguchi table.
From 1951 to 1957, he was married to Yoshiko Yamaguchi.
He established a studio in Long Island City, New York in 1960. There, he designed and established his eponymous garden museum, The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, in 1985.
In 1962, he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1971, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He was awarded the Kyoto Prize in 1986, the National Medal of Arts in 1987, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Japanese government in 1988.
He passed away in 1988 in New York.
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth, the U.S. Postal Service issued five 37-cent stamps in May of 2004 depicting Noguchi’s work.
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Categories: Sculptors | Furniture Designers | Rolling Prairie, Indiana | La Porte, Indiana | Poston War Relocation Center | Long Island City, New York | American Academy of Arts and Letters | American Academy of Arts and Sciences | National Medal of Arts | Order of the Sacred Treasure | Kyoto Prize | Persons Appearing on US Postage Stamps | Landscape Architects | United States, Artists | United States of America, Notables | Notables