Shofuso and Modernism: Mid-Century Collaboration between Japan and Philadelphia

An exhibition at the historic Shofuso Japanese House and Garden will consider Philadelphia as a major site in the development of mid-century design and architecture through the work of four influential figures. The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia’s project will spotlight the transcultural collaborations among Japanese American furniture designer George Nakashima, Japanese architect Junzo Yoshimura (who designed Shofuso), and European American architects and designers Antonin and Noémi Raymond. Inside the house located in West Fairmount Park, the exhibition will display designs, drawings, and architectural renderings, as well as personal items such as a tea chest Yoshimura sent to the Raymonds and objects Nakashima made while in a US internment camp in 1941. Outside of the house, traditional Japanese garden elements will be installed based on the site’s original landscape plan. Lectures, symposia, and programs at Shofuso and around Greater Philadelphia will focus on modern architecture and landscape, Japanese and American craft movements, and the Japanese American experience in Philadelphia.

Additional unrestricted funds are added to each grant for general operating support.