When Fukutoshi Ueno arrived in Brisbane from his native Japan in 1993 the aim was to study English. Like most boys, he had dreams and aspirations - but none included having his wooden furniture as part of the permanent collection at the National Gallery of Australia.

Once his English lessons were over, Ueno went on to study interior design at the Queensland College of Art and the Queensland University of Technology before making his mark as one of Australia’s top designers.

After years of steady progress his breakthrough moment came with a collaboration with another Australian-based Japanese – acclaimed fashion designer Akira Isogawa – which resulted in the lauded ‘Dress-Code’ collection. Exhibited in design shows in Australia and the UK after debuting at 100% Design in Tokyo in 2008, it sees Ueno’s wooden furniture ‘Code’, which can be used as a stool, table or shelf, dressed in Isogawa’s kimono-inspired designs.

Developed with the assistance of a grant from Arts Queensland, the premier collection was released as a limited edition of 50 retailing at $4600 apiece. The range has since been extended to non-limited pieces, an acrylic version and a flat pack version.

Ueno was introduced to Isogawa at a lunch in Sydney in 2001 and they became friends, bonding over their common cultural background as Japanese artists transplanted to Australia.

“We wanted to explore ways which reflected not only our individual artistic practices but also our shared traditional culture in modern ways,” says Ueno. “By the time we met, Akira had already undertaken a number of collaborations and was always interested in new creative projects. These extended his philosophy and craft in different forms. Akira is passionate about virtually everything and is constantly looking for new challenges, as am I. He is one of the most stimulating creative people I have ever worked with. He’s fun too!”

Ueno’s work combines the old Japan of his origins and the vibrancy of his adopted country. ‘Code’ was inspired by the series of symbols assigned to the various mistresses of the 11th century Japanese nobleman Hikaru Genji and was showcased as part of the millennial tribute to Genji at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2008-2009.

A career highlight is when Ueno was informed that the National Gallery of Australia was adding ‘Dress Code’ to the permanent collection, something he considers a great honour.

“Not only will the pieces be exhibited within the next year or so, but my work is now on sale at the NGA shop. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to ask if it is all real,” he says.

Ueno intended to exhibit one of the newest works, the ‘Dress-Code Precision’ collection, for Matilda as part of the London Design Festival 2011, however, the piece was damaged in transit so he showcased the ‘Dress-Code Premier’ collection and the flat pack ‘Dress-Code’, which he says was well received.

Overall, Ueno sees a lot of potential for Australian designers, who he says enjoy an international reputation for creating things that are fresh, quirky and unique.

Matilda was the third time he has exhibited in London; for the past two years he has been part of the UK’s contemporary design show, 100% Design London. His final show of the year will be Cherish 2011, the annual retail showcase of Artisan, which promotes quality craft design in Queensland. After that he’ll retreat to his studio, planning new creations and designing for private clients.

He’s also planned a trip to Japan – he was born in the seaside town of Fukuoka and returns home two or three times a year. There he will spend time with local craftspeople with the intention of promoting their skills internationally as a way to help preserve their fine quality handcrafts.

Ueno says he made Australia his home after ‘falling in love with this beautiful country’; he’s also fascinated by the diversity of cultures in Brisbane and the sense of freedom and wellbeing he gets from the city.

“It is such a wonderful open atmosphere, surrounded by nature, and that enables me to search for new and different design solutions while at the same time still respecting my own traditional Japanese culture,” says Ueno. “I feel that Brisbane celebrates this kind of fusion in all aspects of culture and living here. This animates everything I do: not only in furniture design, but also in my public artworks, my work in paper and fabrics, and gardens, even in my cuisine.”

Ueno is a keen cook, and regularly entertains friends including his neighbor Lydia Pearson, who with Pamela Easton founded the Brisbane-based fashion label Easton Pearson. His next collaboration will be with Easton Pearson. He remains tight-lipped on the details, but it will be available in early 2012 and he promises it will be fun.

Other designs include ‘Bambi Frame’, a frame hanger where people can drape their clothes, which doubles as an art object. Made out of 100% recycled paper it was first presented at 100% Design London in September 2010.

Ueno has always been interested in designing, whether it is fashion accessories, greeting cards, accessories or interior designs and likes that he gets to change people`s perception of the world and the things in it.

“I can also help form the lifestyle of the people who experience or use my work,” he says. “I like to engage people in the creation and discussion about the function of my pieces, how they might use them, what memories they may hold for them, suggestions for new pieces and functions. This dialogue between people and, in my case, between cultures, is very important for me. It is both exciting and humbling at the same time.”

He says there are many dualities which inform his work: the antique/familiar alongside the new/unusual, a fusion of elements from both East and West, and an evocation of the meditative qualities of Zen.

“I try to create organic forms derived from nature with a contemporary feel, embedded in a sense of timelessness,” he says. “Many of these qualities are bound up in my native culture. Coming from a Japanese background, I feel myself moving between the austere beauty of ancient Japanese tradition, for example, the ceremonies associated with Shinto and Buddhist temples, as well as the dazzling sight and sounds of the contemporary world, for example, the Shibuya district of Tokyo.”