Tsuboi was born in Tokyo in 1980 and grew up in Shizuoka. He graduated from the Department of Environmental Design, Tama Art University, in 2004. In 2006, he founded Hironao Tsuboi Design. Tsuboi has since pioneered a wide range of products centered on product design, from daily use products to furniture and household electrical goods. He has also been involved in the planning of SOLAR PHONE CONCEPTS by au design project. Prominent artworks include Lamp/Lamp, SAKURASAKU glass, LED Watch, and others. Tsuboi has received numerous awards, including the red dot award (Germany), the D&AD Global Award (UK), and the Good Design Award. He was selected as one of forty world emerging designers by I.D. Magazine (US) in 2008. In 2009, Tsuboi was selected as Japan’s most exciting new design talent by D&AD “Creative Faces” (UK).
Turn off the light and listen. LIGHT POOL is a mobile phone that can create a fantastical world through the fusion of light and music. The 22 LEDs arranged along the triangular windows that cover the surface of the phone blend with the rhythm of music to create a gorgeous scene. Masakatsu Takagi is the visual artist and musician who pioneered the creation and direction of the light and music. LIGHT POOL comes preset with 10 kinds of light and sounds based on a variety of themes which can, according to your mood and situation, transform the space you are in now into a world where you feel relaxed and refreshed by yourself, or where you can comfortably spend time with a special someone.
60 different patterns of light sketch a kaleidoscope of colors the moment you receive a phone call or open and close the phone, as well as flashing on the hour to let you know the time. Such light patterns exquisitely encompass the spaces around the phone, organically changing its expression as if it had a life of its own. Designed to shape your everyday life in comfort, LIGHT POOL represents a new relationship between you and your phone. Turn off the light and listen.
Born in 1979 he currently lives in Kyoto. The variety of projects he has undertaken is not limited to any one field, and includes exhibitions at art museums and concerts worldwide. Takagi’s works include not only original works of art but also numerous collaborative projects, for example, a world concert tour with David Sylvian, production of music and video performances for UA and YUKI, and commissioned works for RIKEN (scientific research organization), Audi, and NOKIA. He is an artist with a worldwide following, having been selected by Newsweek (Japanese edition, 2009) as one of the 100 most respected Japanese in the world. In fall of 2010, Takagi is scheduled to undertake a private exhibition at YAMAMOTO GENDAI and his first solo concert tour. http://www.takagimasakatsu.com
