Cooper Hewitt says...
Japanese-American artist Tomoko Miho was awarded the 1993 AIGA medal. She attended the Minneapolis School of Art and the Art Center School in Los Angeles, earning a degree in industrial design. Miho was first employed by Harley Earl Associates as a packaging designer. She and husband, Jim, toured Europe and met with renowned designers. Upon her return from Europe, she went to work for George Nelson and Co. in New York, as a graphic designer. Miho later became head of graphic design department of Irving Harper’s firm. She also designed for Herman Miller and many other important design companies over the years. Miho launched her own company, Tomoko Miho Co. Miho looked at space differently, applying what, in Japanese, is called “shakkei.” Shakkei is the way that the background is integrated into the foreground, transforming the experience of a space and also allowing for a sense of completeness within a small environment. Miho used this sensibility in all facets of her design aesthetic.
