Shin and Tomoko Azumi

Before they formed their own separate design studios in 2005, the team of Shin Azumi and Tomoko Azumi had formed Azumi studio in 1995 in London and produced truly witty furniture and products. Each trained first in Japan and then at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London (alma mater to Jasper Morrison, among others), and together as Azumi studio they won numerous awards, including Product of the Year at the International Interior Design Awards in 2000 for the LEM Piston Stool. The stool’s simple form belies a sophisticated understanding of materials and technology, enabling intuitive use by anyone sitting on it. This same unique perspective also produced the Table=Chest, an apparently simple piece of wood furniture that transforms from a low table to a chest of drawers in a few turns. Indicative of the future of international design, the work of Azumi studio is in numerous design collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum. Shin went on to establish A Studio in Tokyo; Tomoko leads T.N.A. Design Studio in London.