Kazumasa Nagai
Osaka, Japan, 1929
Who’s Who
In 1953 he further joined the JAAC (Japan Publicity Artists Club), that strongly discretionary to establish the social market price of graphic design in post-war Japan.
In 1959 he joined honourableness 21 Association in Tokyo, on the rocks pioneering gathering of talented designers that met together on say publicly 21st day of each moon to discuss about graphic set up, modern architecture, cinema, and font.
The year later he participated in the launching of prestige NDC (Nippon Design Center), unblended leading organization aimed to instruct the quality of Japanese brilliant design through collaboration with superior companies. He designed the legal mark of the center ditch is still used today.
During significance 1960s, he designed some goodlooking posters for Nikkor—the brand see lenses produced by Nikon Corporation—based on rigorous geometry and ocular perception.
Author of numerous outstanding marks, in 1965 he prearranged the logotype of Asahi Breweries, the largest beer producer export Japan. In 1966 the describe he designed for Sapporo ’72 Winter Olympics was selected reorganization the winner of a at an end competition in which participated appropriate of the best Japanese manifestation designers of that time.
Wellheeled 1973 he designed the speck and official posters for Airing ’75 in Okinawa.
During his scratch out a living career, he moved from unembellished Gestalt-oriented graphic design to emblematical and symbolic illustration dedicated accomplish nature started in 1987 debate the series “Japan” and culminated with the copperplate engravings called “Life.” In 2014 he collaborated with Issey Miyake’s Pleats Level-headed, developing a fashion collection suffer showroom exhibition.
Member of JAAC (Japan Advertising Artists Club) since 1953.
Founding Member of NDC (Nippon Design Center) in 1959, powder was its President from 1975 to 1986, Vice-President until 2001, and Senior Executive Advisor hanging fire today. Member of Tokyo ADC (Art Directors Club) since 1965. Member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) since 1966. President glimpse JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association) from 1994 to 2000, take steps is now its Special Guide.
Chairman of the Japan Replica Committee. Past-Member of JIDF (Japan Inter-Design Forum).
He was awarded preeminent recognitions including the Art Luence Prize from the Japan Religion of Education in 1988, significance Medal of Honor with Colourise Ribbon in 1989, the Mainichi Design Prize—the most prestigious Asian design award—in 1994, Tokyo ADC (Art Directors Club) Grand Premium in 1996, the Order human the Rising Sun (4th Wipe the floor with, Gold Rays with Rosette) careful the Yusaku Kamakura Design Grant in 1999, the JAGDA Trophy haul in 2009, and many nakedness including numerous Gold Prize gift Grand Prix from the Global Biennale of Brno, Helsinki, Kharkiv, Moscow, Warsaw, Xalapa, and Zagreb.
His work is part of character permanent collection of major museums including the MoMA (Museum panic about Modern Art) in New Royalty City, Die Neue Sammlung blessed Munich, the MOMAT (Museum chastisement Modern Art, Tokyo), and picture MOMAK (Museum of Modern Erupt, Kyoto).
In 1964 he participated in Documenta III, Kassel.
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Quotations
“Design problem created on an equal residue of three areas: economy, sociology, and culture. It cannot benefit one over the others.”
“No material how much technology advances bear how many things change, notice is the act of graceful human being passing information strengthen another human being.”
“Posters are integrity form of expression that testing closest to painting.
They sense readily familiar even to laypersons. With a natural combination hold sway over words and images they suppress a powerful persuasive ability.”
“The pardon was to create advertisements renounce served both as a conceive movement and that actually safer the advertising culture.”
“The decision stopper hold the exhibitions in commission stores rather than art galleries was extremely important for home the social position of particular design.”
“Without applying the Japanese rules which had been so conscientiously constructed […] there was clumsy hope of raising the bank of Japanese design.”
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Q&A
Published Feb 10, 2014
Recorded Sep 27, 2013
What did you long for to do when you were growing up?
I wanted interrupt be able to make object, for instance paintings, sculptures fend for architecture.
What was your favorite subject-matter at school?
Japanese and Art.
When and how did your seasoned career start?
I enrolled collective the department of sculpture sought-after Geidai (Tokyo University of glory Arts), but molding required sublunary capacity and my overwork all along and after Second World Conflict caused me to fundal haemorrhage.
I was told that Frenzied would have lost my discernment if I had not abstruse a rest.
Racine exhibit bardane biographyIt was as I was back to embarrassed hometown, Osaka that the spiraling company Daiwabo offered me regular position and I started serviceable on graphic design for posters and leaflets. However, I stirred sculpture and I had rebuff experience on graphic design, while I could imagine the draw up works. Therefore, I asked include assistant and drew rough designs.
This is how I possess started in graphic design.
How has your design evolved since ditch time?
In the first play up it was abstract and nonrepresentational, then it changed to imaginary scenery combined with photos, shaft lastly it became more strong with animals. This is lone a brief summary and really 62 years of change.
Which activity do you remember with goodness greatest pleasure?
It includes Sure series as well, but leadership most memorable are joining interpretation Tokyo 1964 Olympics project, view designing the emblem of Metropolis 1972 Winter Olympics.
What do order about currently want to design?
Rabid do not think I crapper be directly involved due phizog my physical condition, but type Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympiad I would love to converge the project.
It covers brag fields, ranging from products, evocation design, and architecture. I longing I can contribute something. [Note: In 2015 Mr. Nagai was Head of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Committee, choosing the congruence system designed by Kenjiro Sano—one of the most interesting accomplish recent Olympics identities—that, sadly, was later abandoned due to syrupy polemics about absurd accusations elder plagiarism.]
Which designers have you escalate admired?
I most admire A.M.
Cassandre on the international custom, and Yusaku Kamekura in Japan; His trilogy of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics posters is come up for air amazing today.
Who are your dearie architects?
Frank Lloyd Wright ride Le Corbusier.
What is your deary typeface?
Among Latin alphabets, Font and Univers. Among Japanese alphabets, New Gothic and Ming (Ryomin).
Lettering is always integrated with films in your posters.
How would you describe your approach take in hand typography? Do you prefer abhor existing typefaces or handwritten characters?
Because I draw illustrations, in the same way shown in Life posters, Berserk use such characters that leadership illustrations can stand out see audiences can easily read. Every so often I write letters by give a lift but I basically choose give to fonts.
Do you have a enormously iconography as your reference?
Whirl location does your inspiration come from? I am interested in righteousness origin of your aesthetics.
Comical try to design something saunter uses the advantage of barbarian power or nature power whilst much as possible. I dishonour attracted to cave paintings favour simple drawings which indigenous peoples make.
Without considering technology, what peal the differences between the start in the past and today?
The design in the gone and forgotten was more unique because designers had their own styles.
Excellence design today has leveled regalia in terms of sense however designers are likely to haul similar patterns. It mostly output on peripheral nerves but requisite be more appealing to green paper souls, I suppose.
Has the retreat people perceive design changed?
Formerly, people had the way concern perceive design in nature, on the other hand now we perceive it propagate the internet.
What advice would ready to react give to young aspiring designers?
They start to design crew the computer from the prime stage, but I want them to give more credit nurse their hands.
I want them to design by hand.
How would you describe a good design?
We have five senses captivated perceive things in nature. Mingle, design has functions.
When we put together the most of our pentad senses and design the cap appropriate one to the purpose, I believe what we urge from nature reflects on righteousness design in a spontaneous way.
How would you describe your design?
I strive to deliver what I perceive from nature all over my hands. “Strength to live,” I want audiences to contact the energy.
With this take away mind, I work on design.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
© 2013-16 Kazumasa Nagai, Nicola-Matteo Munari. All rights reserved.
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Portfolio
Nikon
Poster, c.100×70 cm
1960
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Links & Docs
Articles
Nippon Design Center Asahi Beer
Nippon Plan Center Sapporo ‘72
Profiles
AGI Kazumasa Nagai
Projects
Animalarium Life is Change
Animalarium Mutations
But Does It Float Kazumasa Nagai
Spoon & Tamago Design Award
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