The life of the Japanese-American sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was an unending spiritual and physical voyage between the two cultures of his birthright. In this definitive biography and critical study, Dore Ashton maps Noguchi's spiritual journey both in the events of his life and in the milestones of his art: the sculptures, gardens, public spaces, and stage decors that gained force and significance from his double heritage.

Dore Ashton is Professor of Art History at the Cooper Union and author or editor of 30 books on art and culture including The New York School: A Cultural Reckoning, A Critical Study of Philip Guston, and A Fable of Modern Art, available from University of California Press.

"No one will ever look at Noguchi's work in the same way after reading this superb biography, strikingly illustrated with 91 black-and-white photographs and eight pages in color."—Publishers Weekly

"Though Los Angeles-born sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi lived to be honored around the world, he was a multicultural, multimedia artist before it became fashionable, and he suffered for being ahead of his time."—Paul Taylor, New York Times Book Review

"Dore Ashton has written an engaging full-length portrait of an artist who explored cultural relationships to define himself."—Herbert Muschamp, The New Republic

"Mythical figures attract ire, and Noguchi did indeed do so in the course of a long and tempestuous life, but he has been granted a compensatory grace in his biographer. Dore Ashton, an art historian whose distinction matches that of her subject, has written a fascinating account of 'the trajectory of his life.'"—Anne Truitt, Washington Post Book World