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Designer
Keiji Takeuchi
Keiji Takeuchi was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and spent most of his youth in New Zealand. He studied product design there for his bachelor's degree, including a scholarship study at ENSCI / Les Ateliers in Paris. After graduating he returned…
Biography
Background
Keiji Takeuchi was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and spent most of his youth in New Zealand. He studied product design there for his bachelor's degree, including a scholarship study at ENSCI / Les Ateliers in Paris. After graduating he returned to Japan and worked for Naoto Fukasawa, moved to Milan in 2012 and established his own design office in 2015. Fredericia describes him as Japanese-born, Milan-based, New Zealand-bred and Paris-educated.
Signature Style
His own site says his approach emphasises the essentiality of things, finding ways to improve the nature of products in the simplest yet most human way, and creating a spontaneous dialogue between objects and daily life. Fredericia characterises his work as defined by purity and the absence of superfluous elements, and says he sees simplicity as the path to sophistication.
Notable Works
- Pal table for Fredericia, designed in 2020
- Floe washbasin for Boffi, winner of the Best in Bathroom category at EDIDA in 2018
- A.T.S for E'interiors, Good Design Award 2020
- Villetta for De Padova, Monocle Design Award 2024 for top dining chair
- Profil lounge chair for Hydro (2025)
- Walking Sticks & Canes exhibition at Triennale Milano (2024) and the book Walking Sticks from Lars Müller Publishers
Legacy
His office works with brands across several countries, including Alessi, Boffi, De Padova, Fredericia, Karimoku, Ligne Roset, Living Divani and NaughtOne. Recognition includes the Japanese Young Talent award from Elle Decor Japan in 2016 and a place among the 2026 Good Design Award Top 100 for UP for Karimoku.
