My Favourite Things: Yasumichi Morita

The award-winning Japanese interior designer shares his art collection.

Yasumichi Morita is one of Japan's most revered interior designers, who with his agency Glamorous has branched out with international projects in Hong Kong, New York, London Paris and Doha. He is also a keen photographer as well as an avid collector of an eclectic range of art, from sculpture to photography to painting. 

“Whether in my home, or creative studio, I surround myself with art," he says. "When I view works of art, I crave the experience of not recognising the images at first glance and then seeking to learn what they are. I strive for that ambiguity."

Here he shares the stories behind the favourite pieces from his collection.

La sculpture a du goût  by Patrick Roger

A friend in France introduced me to Patrick Roger, a French sculptor, and chocolatier. This artist, winner of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, is a master at sculpting the unique material of chocolate which has led him to creating in bronze and aluminum. We meet every time I visit France and once, Patrick traded one of his works for my own. 

Hermès scarves 

I feel that scarves from Hermès are pieces of art themselves; artistic, classic, elegant, and timeless. Among other items I have from Hermes, these are my favorite ones. On the image is a special Hermes frame installed in the living room, and the design is absolutely fascinating.  

Gazing Ball (da Vinci Mona Lisa) by Jeff Koons 
 

According to Jeff Koons, this work can reflect the entire world we live in at this moment. By embedding a gazing ball in the work, time and space are distorted, and we can travel back in time to the time of the artist who created the painting. It is also said that Mona Lisa has many hidden secrets, and looking at this work of art will evoke many thoughts. 

ICONS, Takeru Amano
 

I was introduced to Takeru Amano by a friend of mine. When purchasing these works, a part of my desire was to support young artists. The more I look at these pieces, the more they develop some mysterious charm in myself. I think the work of Takeru Amano uses simple colours, and it easily fits in any space.  

Audemars Piguet Millenary Limited Edition by Morita 

I had a chance to have dinner with the president of Audemars Piguet, and I repeatedly asked him to let me design a watch for him, but he refused, saying that only someone with a deep understanding of AP could design his watch. Nevertheless, I prepared presentation materials before the next visit to Japan and showed them to the Audemars Piguet. He accepted my proposition, and I made this watch. The motif of champagne bubbles is expressed in gold and diamonds of the item. It is an item that I am very attached to and it is my favorite watch. 

Primates by Mozart Guerra

I found this piece in a gallery in Paris, it is a sculpture by Mozart Guerra - a Brazilian artist, who is based in Paris. It is made from expansive foam and cords. Over the years Guerra developed a unique style and technique to create his sculptures that do not compare to any. At first he sculpts the shape he wants. Then makes a mold and later reproduces his objects. He makes a basic shape out of expansive foam around which he tightly winds Japanese rope of an enduring quality in soft and colourful shades. Guerra chooses themes that at first glance are cheerful and amusing. Nevertheless, a second look reveals that the sculptures have duality of meanings, of a political or of social nature. It is art that remains thrilling.