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Craftsmanship is deeply ingrained in Rio Kobayashi’s narrative. The Austrian-Italian-Japanese designer grew up in the pottery town of Mashiko, Japan, where his father worked as a ceramics artisan. At 18, he moved to Austria to undergo a three-year traditional cabinet-making apprenticeship in the countryside.
“High-quality craftsmanship is of great importance to me,” Kobayashi says in his east London studio, where he is currently based, surrounded by his diverse works – ranging from tables and mirrors to vases and lanterns.
However, Kobayashi became disillusioned with the homogeneity of the design he encountered in the world. “I used to follow everyone’s preferences, such as mid-century furniture, but it became too serious. I wanted to create something more playful.”
And that is exactly what he has achieved, combining sophisticated techniques with subversive forms. His creations include chairs made of oversized Mikado sticks (Mikado collection, 2017) and a shelving unit shaped like a humanoid robot (Robot collection, 2019). He describes his work as “cheeky”.
Now, for the upcoming London Design Festival (September 16-24), Kobayashi will be hosting his first solo exhibition, Manus Manum Lavit (One Hand Washes the Other), at Cromwell Place in South Kensington. The exhibition showcases his past and present works, creating a “living room” where visitors can relax, listen to music, and have fun. “When people enter my room, it’s an experience,” he explains.
The exhibition not only brings people together physically but also encourages creative collaboration. The majority of the exhibited pieces are the result of working with other artists, designers, and manufacturers.
This marks a new chapter for Kobayashi, who previously worked alone. “Since I come from a furniture-making background, it made sense for me to design and produce all my works myself,” he says. However, after participating in a group exhibition at Milan Design Week in 2018 and collaborating with brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, he became fascinated with the idea of working with others and embracing their different expertise and skills.
One of the showcased pieces at Manus Manum Lavit is “Fish Table (Fatty Tuna)”, an oak table created in 2019 and hand-painted by London-based artist James Hague. The exhibition also features speakers (“Play 01” and “Play 02”, 2023) with panels adorned with colorful geometric patterns, made in collaboration with Austrian speaker maker Wiener Lautsprecher Manufaktur.
Another highlight is “Piece of Cake” (2023), a modular sofa with multiple configurations, created in collaboration with designer Flavia Brändle and covered in vibrant fabric from Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos, the duo behind the Peter Pilotto fashion brand. Pilotto and de Vos also provided fabric for newly designed lanterns featured in the exhibition, taken from their new fashion and furniture brand, PPCDV, which will be launching at Cromwell Place during the London Design Festival.
Two noteworthy pieces in Manus Manum Lavit result from deconstructing and repurposing old broken furniture. “Bat Shelf” (2023), created for photographer Angus Mill and artist Anne Hardy, transforms a hexagonal table into an intriguing, zoomorphic shelf with playful brush elements. “Positive Chair” (2022), made for artist Peter McDonald and curator Makio McDonald, revives a broken Thonet chair with colorful woven yarn and brush adornments. These projects, which Kobayashi refers to as “creative repair,” showcase his skilled craftsmanship and inventive spirit, combining function and ornament in unexpected ways while giving new life to discarded furniture.
Each of Kobayashi’s works is captivating, intriguing, and distinct, avoiding the trap of homogeneity. He enjoys mixing elements together to create something exciting, joyful, and thought-provoking. His vision of the ideal interior is one that promotes happiness, comfort, and inspiration. And for the London Design Festival, he invites everyone to join in.
Highlights of the London Design Festival
One of the upcoming exhibitions at the festival is Andu Masebo’s “Part Exchange” installation, showcasing metal furniture objects created from an old Alfa Romeo, infused with narrative elements.
Now in its 21st year, the London Design Festival brings design to life across the city, with exhibitions and events in galleries, shops, and public spaces. This nine-day festival features over 300 exhibitions and other activities spread across 13 design districts, from Battersea to Shoreditch, with the V&A South Kensington serving as the festival’s main hub.
In addition to the Kobayashi and PPCDV exhibitions at Cromwell Place, highlights of the London Design Festival include Material Matters, a fair at Oxo Tower Wharf that brings together designers, makers, and manufacturers focused on material innovation – from furniture made from textile waste to lighting crafted from discarded eyewear lenses. At the Batsford Gallery in east London, Soma showcases the debut exhibition of scientist and designer Abid Javed, featuring his intriguing and elegant sculptural ceramics and furniture inspired by molecular biology. The V&A South Kensington hosts emerging designer Andu Masebo’s “Part Exchange” installation, which reveals the transformation of an old Alfa Romeo destined for scrapping into narrative-infused metal furniture objects.
Other notable exhibitions include alchemical craft at the Mint gallery, London-inspired designs made locally at Atelier100, and rope-based creations inspired by British and Vietnamese craft heritage at Centre 151.
The London Design Festival takes place from September 16-24. For more information, visit londondesignfestival.com. Be sure to follow @FTProperty on Twitter or @ft_houseandhome on Instagram to stay up to date with our latest stories.
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