Beginning in 1951, the Japanese-American artist and designer Isamu Noguchi created the Akari Light Sculptures, over 100 models in total, all handmade from rice paper, serving as table, floor, or ceiling lamps. He chose the word “akari” to name these lamps, a Japanese expression meaning clarity and light, which also encompasses the concept of lightness. “The light of Akari is like sunlight filtered through shoji paper. Thus, the harshness of electricity is transformed back into the light of our origin—the sun—thanks to the magic of the paper, so that its warmth continues to fill our rooms at night.” (Isamu Noguchi)