Kengo Horikoshi

Design Products (MA)
A black-and-white headshot of Kengo Horikoshi, looking slightly downward and to the lower right, showing from the abdomen up.
Four anthropomorphized shelves, painted in vibrant colors from left to right in blue, green, yellow, and orange, are lined up in a row facing forward.
Stand by You, 2024
An image depicting the use of the anthropomorphized furniture collection. The blue shelf is wearing a hat and leg warmers. The orange shelf is plain, but the green and yellow shelves are stacked. A handbag is hanging from the ear of the green shelf, and the door of the yellow shelf is open, revealing books stored inside.
Stand by You, 2024
A flower-like, hemispherical structure with thin wires extending from all directions toward the center, where they converge to hold a slender vase designed for a single flower, floating in mid-air. A yellow flower is displayed in the vase.
Celebration of Individuality, 2024
A chair, with the left half appearing to be torn from the main body and falling downward. The main body and the seemingly torn part are connected by yarn, making the tear look as if it is being held together by the threads.
Tearing chair, 2023
Four anthropomorphized shelves, painted in vibrant colors from left to right in blue, green, yellow, and orange, are lined up in a row facing forward.
An image depicting the use of the anthropomorphized furniture collection. The blue shelf is wearing a hat and leg warmers. The orange shelf is plain, but the green and yellow shelves are stacked. A handbag is hanging from the ear of the green shelf, and the door of the yellow shelf is open, revealing books stored inside.
A flower-like, hemispherical structure with thin wires extending from all directions toward the center, where they converge to hold a slender vase designed for a single flower, floating in mid-air. A yellow flower is displayed in the vase.
A chair, with the left half appearing to be torn from the main body and falling downward. The main body and the seemingly torn part are connected by yarn, making the tear look as if it is being held together by the threads.

About

Kengo Horikoshi is a Japanese product designer based in London. Beyond mere functionality and production efficiency, he strives to create products that captivate the senses, offering a visually pleasing experience and an exciting user engagement. His daily endeavours revolve around the hope of contributing, even if just a little, to enhancing the happiness and inspirational moments in the lives of users.

After graduating with a major in law from Keio University in Tokyo, he began his professional journey at Mitsui & Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese trading and investment company, where he focused on new business development. Following a tenure in the United States, he pivoted his career towards his aspiration of becoming a product designer by enrolling at the University of the Arts London. In his second year there, he was admitted to the Royal College of Art, where he completed his Master’s degree in Design Products.

For his graduation project, he created a furniture collection named “Stand by You.” This series is designed to meet various everyday needs as furniture while fostering deep emotional attachment, much like a close friend or pet. With careful attention to shape, colour, materials, and functionality, the collection aims to enhance the spiritual fulfilment of daily life.

“Celebration of Individuality” is a vase dedicated to a single flower. The vase highlights the unique individuality of a flower—its petals, leaves, and stem—which are often overlooked. By drawing a parallel to the individuality of a person in society, this vase is designed to enhance, observe, and enjoy the beauty of each flower, thereby celebrating the value and uniqueness of personal individuality.

The “Tearing Chair” originates from an attempt to introduce a deviation in standard forms. To pursue one’s dreams, it is necessary to have the courage to deviate from the conventional standards deemed “normal” or “good” by others and follow one’s inner voice. With the “Tearing Chair” and other products that explore the coexistence of deviation and beauty, he hopes to become a supportive voice for those striving to live authentically.

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