Keiji Takeuchi is a furniture and industrial designer with a truly global outlook. Japanese-born, Milan-based, New Zealand-bred and Paris-educated, he first orchestrated the exhibition walking sticks & canes for Triennale Milano. Now, as part of an international tour, nineteen walking sticks and canes by leading designers arrive to Objectspace. Takeuchi says:

It is not possible to go back in time to the very first cane. We can only imagine it started with someone picking up a small branch, trimming off the smaller twigs, and using it for a walk in the woods. It must have been one of those primitive objects that people made on the spot as needed. As time passed, it evolved in step with social changes and cultural developments, naturally taking on different purposes and meanings. 

At some point, it became a symbol of power and authority or religious status and later an icon of fashion and wealth. Today, it is commonly associated with older adults, who tend to be viewed with pity. However, some have found novel and fascinating ways to express their personalities and stories through their canes, making them a source of pleasure and pride.

Some people have canes that are almost self-caricatures, some completely customise them to suit their needs, and others go to great lengths to find a perfect match for their taste. It is a universal yet understated subject with limitless potential for exploration.

This exhibition is an opportunity to share our research, showcasing nineteen examples of walking sticks and canes by designers I admire. They share their thoughts to help us broaden our general awareness of this essential and expressive tool.

walking sticks & canes features works by Alban Le Henry, Alberto Meda, Anker Bak, Cecilie Manz, Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm, David Saik, Henri Frachon, Hugo Passos, Jasper Morrison, Julie Richoz, Julien Renault, Jun Yasumoto, Keiji Takeuchi, Maddalena Casadei, Marialaura Irvine, Michel Charlot, Pierre Charpin, Ville Kokkonen, and Wataru Kumano. Also included are photographs of select walking sticks, taken by Albert Lee.

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Keiji Takeuchi was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and spent most of his youth in Aotearoa New Zealand. He also made a scholarship study at ENSCI – Les Ateliers in Paris, France. After completing a bachelor’s degree in product design in New Zealand, he returned to Japan, where he worked for Naoto Fukasawa. In 2012, he moved to Milan and established his own design office in 2015. Elle Decor Japan awarded him the Japanese Young Talent Award the following year. Today, Takeuchi collaborates with many well-regarded brands in various countries and continents, such as Millerknoll in the US, Fredericia in Denmark, Nine in the UK, and Boffi De Padova in Italy, as well as art directing the brand aru, and collaborating with Karimoku in Japan. During the Milan Design Week 2024, he orchestrated walking sticks & canes at Triennale Milano – his first curation project. The exhibition is currently touring, having shown at Karimoku Commons in Tokyo and Emeco House in Los Angeles. Recently, he edited the book Walking Sticks with Marco Sammicheli, published by Lars Müller Publishers.

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Supported by Karimoku, Triennale Milano and Toi Manahau Designers Institute of New Zealand.