Matter Tuner Takuma Yamazaki to Exhibit at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026 Exploring the Boundary Between Life and Object — Presenting Himself as an Object

Takuma Yamazaki, a Matter Tuner who explores the boundary between life and matter through the modulation of material presence, will exhibit at Salone del Mobile.Milano, the world’s largest design event, held in Milan, Italy, from April 21, 2026.

This exhibition is part of SaloneSatellite, a section dedicated to designers under 35, for which Yamazaki was selected through a competitive process.

At the exhibition, Yamazaki will present a new work from his long-term project “Bio-Vide,” titled “Bio-Vide: Becoming Object.”

BioVide_Becoming Object_Top image

Bio-Vide: Exploring the Boundary Between Life and Object Through Animacy

Bio-Vide is an ongoing project that explores the boundary between life and objects, not through biological definitions such as metabolism or reproduction, but through the concept of animacy.

Why do we perceive certain entities as “alive” while others are recognized as “objects”?Why can one kill a mosquito without hesitation, yet feel resistance toward killing a dog?Why do we treat an everyday object differently from an object with emotional attachment?

Through material experimentation and artistic production, Yamazaki has continuously approached these questions.

His work includes material explorations such as installations combining cow bone and leather, hand-tanning fish skin, and the development of a patented material that reconstructs fallen leaves into structural boards.By focusing on the individuality and aggregation of natural materials and remains of living organisms, he has accumulated sensory insights into the ambiguous zone between life and matter.

This inquiry is rooted in his childhood experience growing up with a father who was a livestock veterinarian, where he was exposed early on to the reality that what we consume is the result of life transformed into matter.Through visits to pig farms, slaughterhouses, and oil processing facilities, he has directly observed the processes behind this transformation.

Becoming Object: Presenting Himself as an Object

In this new work, Yamazaki reverses his perspective—from observing life to positioning himself on the side of the object.

Using his patented fallen-leaf material, he has created a pair of twin chairs approximately 1700 mm in height.On one chair, Yamazaki himself sits, wearing a mask constructed from fallen leaves, and is placed in the space as a static “object.”

On the other chair, he presents “PromPlant / HeartBeat,” a generative AI work that visualizes plant forms derived from his own heartbeat data.This juxtaposition introduces a dialogue between body, data, and material.

“I wanted to understand the sensation from the side of the object.”

This work is not a completed statement, but an ongoing process of inquiry.By placing himself within the position of an object, Yamazaki seeks to gain new perceptual insights that will inform his future work.

BioVide_Becoming Object_Chair

■Exhibition Information

Dates: April 21 (Tue) - April 26 (Sun), 2026

Venue ： Fiera Milano, Rho (Milan, Italy)

Exhibit : SaloneSatellite (under 35 years old)

Booth： Pavilion 7 / Booth E35

Technical cooperation companies

Futsuka Printing

Futsuka Printing is a printing company centered on silkscreen techniques, also engaged in workshops and artistic production.They provide high-quality printing for posters, packaging, and novelties, while expanding the possibilities of printing through flexible, material-driven approaches.

SPACEAGENT Inc.

SPACEAGENT specializes in aerospace component manufacturing management, process design, housing design, and procurement.The company applies advanced processing technologies across materials such as metals and resins, aiming to contribute to the global aerospace industry through high-precision manufacturing.

■Profile

Takuma Yamazaki | Matter Tuner / Designer

Born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1990.Graduated top of his class (second place) from Tama Art University, Department of Product Design (Studio 3), and joined Canon Inc., where he worked on the design of precision equipment including cameras and lenses.

While working at Canon, he began producing works based on his own philosophy, receiving multiple international design awards. He became independent in 2021 and currently runs two companies.

Operating across the fields of industrial design and art, he advocates the concept of “Industrial Artistry.”In 2025, he signed with a gallery in New York and held a solo exhibition titled “Industrial Artistry” in Manhattan, where his works were sold and acquired into private collections.

Since 2023, his practice has expanded toward designing spacecraft and conceptualizing space colonies, exploring the relationship between humans and materials beyond Earth.In recent years, he has further extended his work into robotics design, as well as video and music production, fashion, and picture book creation.

Biography (Chronology)

2015

Graduated from Tama Art University, Department of Product Design (Studio 3)

2016 Graduated from Tama Art University

2016 Graduated from Tama Art University, Department of Product Design (Studio 3).

Winner of the Lexus Design Award 2016 (1,232 entries from 73 countries)

materialPREIS 2016 Grand Prix in the research category (Germany)

2018

Finalist, Shachihata New Product Design Competition 2018

∙ KOKUYO Design Award 2018 Grand Prix/Audience Award (46 countries, 1,289 entries)

2019

Establishment of TAKUMA YAMAZAKI DESIGN LLC

2020 iF Design Award 2020

iF Design Award 2020 (Germany)

K-Design Award 2020 (Korea)

2021 A' Design Award 2021

A' Design Award 2021 (Italy)

2022 DFA Design for Asia Awards 2022

DFA Design for Asia Awards 2022 (Hong Kong)

iF Design Award 2022 (Germany)

2023 CES Innovation Awards 2023

Winner, CES Innovation Awards 2023 (Las Vegas, USA)

(Pixie Dust Technologies, Inc./SonoRepro)

Held a solo exhibition, "Product Design Infused with Vital Warmth" (Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan)

2024

Received CES Innovation Awards 2024 (Las Vegas, U.S.A.) (Pixie Dust Technologies, Inc./iwasemi RC-α)

2025

Exhibited at "Interior Lifestyle Tokyo 2025" (TALENTS Special Recommendation / Ariake, Japan)

Solo exhibition "Industrial Artistry" (New York)

2026

Solo Exhibition "WORKWORKWORK" (Shibuya, Tokyo)

Exhibition "SaloneSatellite 2026" in Milan, Italy.

Inquiries: [Contact

TAKUMA YAMAZAKI DESIGN LLC

Attn: YAMAZAKI Takuma

E-mail : info@takumayamazaki.com

Official website: https://www.takumayamazaki.com