is a Japanese

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

, designer, and musician. Primarily known for the design of sound-based objects, Suzuki is a partner of the London office of Pentagram.

Early life and education

Yuri Suzuki was born in 1980 in Tokyo, Japan and grew up in Shibuya ward. While at Wako Gakuen High School, he became a fan of the product design artist collective Maywa Denki and started making replicas of their music instruments. Maywa Denki soon noticed Suzuki’s activity and in 1999 made him an assistant. He continued working and performing as a part of the collective throughout his BA Product Design studies at

Nihon University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice (Japan), Minister of Justice, in 1889. ...

. In 2005, Suzuki moved to London and to study in the MA Design Products program at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...

Career

After completing his graduate education, Suzuki started to work on his sound installations and experimental product designs as well as participating in artist-in-residence programmes in Japan, UK and India. Alongside his activities as an artist and designer, Suzuki also worked for Teenage Engineering in Stockholm and Research Department of

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

in California, and fully relocated back to London in 2012. In 2013, Suzuki launched ''Ototo'', a circuit board that turns any conductive materials into a music instrument. As media coverage on Suzuki's work grew, collaborations with musicians have begun as well. Suzuki designed and produced musical instruments for

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

and

Jeff Mills Jeff Mills (born June 18, 1963, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American DJ, record producer, and composer. Thanks to his technical abilities as a DJ, Mills became known as ''The Wizard'' in the early to mid 1980s. In the late 1980s Mills founded ...

, and organized a workshop-based music video brief with Damian Kulash from

OK Go OK Go is an American rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band is composed of Damian Kulash (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar and vocals), Dan Konopka (drums and percussion), and ...

. Suzuki taught at the Royal College of Art and School of Architecture Interactive Architecture Lab,

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

as a visiting tutor, gave lectures and held workshops at numerous art colleges in Europe. In November 2018, Suzuki joined the London office of Pentagram as a partner. September 2020 saw Suzuki launch the experimental music label MSG with the inaugural release ''Scott’s Dream – Music From A Reimagined Digital Electronium'' paying tribute to the work of Raymond Scott.

Exhibitions

*2014: solo exhibition at Pola Museum Annex, Tokyo. *2019: retrospective exhibition titled ''Sound in Mind: Yuri Suzuki'' at London's

Design Museum The Design Museum in Kensington, London exhibits product, industrial, graphic, fashion, and architectural design. In 2018, the museum won the European Museum of the Year Award. The museum operates as a registered charity, and all funds generat ...

Collections

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

, New York *

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

Recognition and awards

* Designer of the Future Award Design Miami /Swarovski (2016) * Honorary mention (Sound Art)

Prix Ars Electronica The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the best known and longest running yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music. It has been awarded since 1987 by Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria) ...

(2016) * Honorary mention (Interactive Art)

(2016) * Designers in Residence

, London (2012) * Honorary mention (Interactive Art)

(2009)

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suzuki, Yuri Living people 1980 births Artists from Tokyo Japanese designers Experimental musicians Pentagram partners (past and present)