Kakuda, who was born and bred in Japan, moved to London in 2003 to gain international experience. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2007 and working with Ross Lovegrove and Shin and Tomoko Azumi, he began designing for Muji, where his experience cemented his passion for elegant everyday objects. His creations for Muji include a set of sleek stainless steel knives and a surprisingly elegant silicone jam spoon.

A beautiful level of simplicity characterizes Kakuda’s designs. Out of his entire body of work, 33-year-old Kakuda is most proud of Tenon, a collection of timber furniture, including a chair, armchair, step stool, and side table, that slots together via mortise and tenon joints. He loves this project not only because it harks back to traditional craft, but also because it has allowed him to “focus on that certain set of challenges that comes with evoking older techniques from today’s perspective.”

Yota Kakuda