Design and Modernity in Asia: National Identity and Transnational Exchange 1945-1990

【Book Description】

This newly edited volume of critical essays explores the development of design for modern living in Asia from 1945 to 1990, with a particular focus on the post–World War II and postcolonial periods. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach grounded in in-depth primary research and case studies, the book examines how modernism and modernity were interpreted, adapted, and practiced across diverse Asian contexts—revealing both shared trajectories and local particularities.

Through studies of exhibitions, architecture, interior design, printed ephemera, literary discourses, health and lifestyle movements, and transnational networks of modern designers, contributors investigate how modern life was negotiated and experienced in everyday settings. The essays further explore the exchanges between individuals, institutions, and governments within Asia and in dialogue with the United States and Western Europe. The volume highlights how modern design practices and discourses were shaped by processes of economic development and modernization, and animated by ongoing aesthetic debates.

Offering a critical and fresh perspective on design and modernism in Asia, this book is an essential resource for scholars and students of design history, modernism, and Asian studies.


【Details】

Editors: Yunah Lee, Megha Rajguru
Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Publication Year: 2025
Dimensions: 23 × 16 cm
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 256 pages