Early Ray Komai Plywood Lounge Chair in Cherrywood

This is a great example of an early Ray Komai Lounge Chair. This chair was shown in the US Pavillon on the Milan Triennale in 1951. Produced by JG Furniture in the late 1940s. The early ones have a wooden bracket on the back of the seat. A very important Chair in US Design History. This chair is in original museal original condition. There is a set of three upholstered Ray Komai lounge chairs in another listing. Ray Komai (1918–2010) was an American graphic and exhibition designer whose bold, modern sensibility set him apart in mid-century design. His career unfolded against a backdrop of profound cultural and political change, which deeply influenced his work. Komai belonged to a generation of Japanese American artists and designers — among them Isamu Noguchi, Tomoko Miho, and Ruth Asawa — who endured incarceration in prison camps during World War II. Despite this painful chapter, they went on to shape the landscape of American visual art. Komai’s story is not only one of creativity and resilience, but also a lens through which to reflect on immigration, patriotism, and the enduring power of design in the face of bias.