Our story · Michio Fujinami

One vision for buildings, interiors and objects.

For Michio Fujinami, a building, its interior and the objects within it form one living environment. His architectural practice brings Japanese aesthetics into harmony with the culture, climate and surroundings of each place.

Kosei Art brings this philosophy to the scale of furniture. Historic Japanese imagery gives each piece a cultural point of departure; Vietnamese lacquer craftsmanship gives it surface, depth and presence in the home.

Qualified as an architect in Japan and Singapore, he founded Fujinami Architects & Associates in 1989. The practice received the BCA Best Buildable Design Award in 1999 for its Sumitomo Warehouse project.

More than 27 years working with craftspeople in Vietnam made lacquer a natural meeting point for this approach. Michio personally supervises each piece, bringing design and craftsmanship into an ongoing conversation.

Michio Fujinami, Kosei Art founder and architect — original black-and-white portrait
1973Architecture graduate
Shibaura Institute of Technology
100+Architectural projects
Singapore & Vietnam
27+ yearsWorking with craftspeople
in Vietnam

A lifetime in design

Architecture, painting and a continuing curiosity.

Michio’s career spans more than 100 architectural projects in Singapore and Vietnam, across commercial buildings, residences and institutions. Alongside architecture and furniture design, he continues to paint in acrylic.

  1. 1973Graduated in architecture from Shibaura Institute of Technology.
  2. 1982Qualified as a First-Class Architect in Japan.
  3. 1988Qualified as an architect in Singapore.
  4. 1989Founded Fujinami Architects & Associates in Singapore.
  5. 1998Completed a Master of Building Science at the National University of Singapore.
  6. 1999Fujinami Architects & Associates received the BCA Best Buildable Design Award for the Sumitomo Warehouse project.
  7. 2004Founded Fujinami Construction Consultant in Ho Chi Minh City.

Selected project record

A practice across places.

  • Takashimaya Singapore · 1993
    Owner’s consultant for the opening.
  • Japanese Association clubhouse, Singapore
    Original building submissions in 1998; major renovations in 2016 and 2026.
  • Also in his selected-project record
    BMW showroom and office building (2008); MB Sunny Tower, Vietnam (2015); MIDORI Park, Vietnam (2020); Nassim Good Class Bungalow, Singapore (2021); The Gloria Condominium, Vietnam (2025); The TEN Condominium, Vietnam (2026).
Iris imagery, lacquer and metal fittings on a Kosei Art Go board

The collection’s meeting point

Japanese references.
Vietnamese lacquer craft.

Historic Japanese paintings, sword guards and inrō provide cultural references for the collection. Painted imagery, layers of lacquer and details such as tansu-style metal fittings carry those references into contemporary surroundings.

Michio has worked with craftspeople in Vietnam for more than 27 years and personally supervises each Kosei Art piece. This continuing relationship brings his designs to life through their lacquer craftsmanship.

Art to encounter through daily use.

A table becomes a setting for a painting. A tray preserves the individual shape of an autumn leaf. Furniture and objects bring color, texture and cultural memory into the everyday life of a home.

Explore the collection