Keiji Takeuchi
Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Keiji Takeuchi moved to New Zealand when he was 15. He studied product design at university in Auckland. There, he earned his bachelor’s degree and a scholarship to a prestigious graduate-level industrial design program in Paris. In 2003, he returned to Japan. Two years later, he began working with Naoto Fukasawa. Before establishing his own design office in Milan in 2016, Takeuchi spent years collaborating with Fukasawa in Japan and Milan.
Products by Keiji Takeuchi
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“If people have any hesitation choosing my chair over something else, that means something is missing.”
More than any other designed object, Takeuchi believes that furniture has the potential to shape how people see their lives. He sees a furniture designer’s role as fine-tuning a person’s lifestyle amid a rapidly changing society. “It is about sharing a vision for improving our lifestyle, whether it is such a small thing or a big thing, beyond what the market dictates.”
Takeuchi has worked with Geiger on a variety of projects. He played an important role in the development of Fukasawa’s Saiba collection and co-designed Axon Tables. His first independent project for Geiger explored seating that allows for freedom of movement. Takeuchi leveraged Geiger’s strength in craftsmanship and technology to create a cantilevered backrest. The resulting chair is organic and free-spirited, clean but not too serious.
