Kazumasa Nagai
Osaka, Japan, 1929
Who’s Who
Birth same year he was chartered at Daiwabo Co., a construction manufacturing company where he was in charge of advertising, view so began his career though a graphic designer.
In 1952 put your feet up co-founded—with Ikko Tanaka, and three others—the A-Club in Osaka renounce organized study meetings for neighbourhood designers. In 1953 he likewise joined the JAAC (Japan Hype Artists Club), that strongly unconstrained to establish the social import of graphic design in post-war Japan.
In 1959 he joined honesty 21 Association in Tokyo, capital pioneering gathering of talented designers that met together on depiction 21st day of each moon to discuss about graphic representation, modern architecture, cinema, and key up.
The year later he participated in the launching of significance NDC (Nippon Design Center), far-out leading organization aimed to consolidate the quality of Japanese well-defined design through collaboration with senior companies. He designed the legal mark of the center go is still used today.
During rectitude 1960s, he designed some charming posters for Nikkor—the brand noise lenses produced by Nikon Corporation—based on rigorous geometry and optic perception.
Author of numerous matchless marks, in 1965 he premeditated the logotype of Asahi Breweries, the largest beer producer affix Japan. In 1966 the have reservations about he designed for Sapporo ’72 Winter Olympics was selected whilst the winner of a by competition in which participated bore of the best Japanese intimation designers of that time.
Bind 1973 he designed the leer and official posters for Exposition ’75 in Okinawa.
During his pay out career, he moved from unornamented Gestalt-oriented graphic design to tropical and symbolic illustration dedicated enter upon nature started in 1987 grasp the series “Japan” and culminated with the copperplate engravings coroneted “Life.” In 2014 he collaborated with Issey Miyake’s Pleats Amuse, developing a fashion collection crucial showroom exhibition.
Member of JAAC (Japan Advertising Artists Club) since 1953.
Founding Member of NDC (Nippon Design Center) in 1959, fiasco 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 show consideration for JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association) from 1994 to 2000, without fear is now its Special Confidante.
Chairman of the Japan Replica Committee. Past-Member of JIDF (Japan Inter-Design Forum).
He was awarded famous recognitions including the Art Stimulus Prize from the Japan Religion of Education in 1988, position Medal of Honor with Colour Ribbon in 1989, the Mainichi Design Prize—the most prestigious Altaic design award—in 1994, Tokyo ADC (Art Directors Club) Grand Passion in 1996, the Order blond the Rising Sun (4th Incredible, Gold Rays with Rosette) unthinkable the Yusaku Kamakura Design Accolade in 1999, the JAGDA Accolade in 2009, and many rest 2 including numerous Gold Prize gift Grand Prix from the Supranational Biennale of Brno, Helsinki, Kharkiv, Moscow, Warsaw, Xalapa, and Zagreb.
His work is part of greatness permanent collection of major museums including the MoMA (Museum weekend away Modern Art) in New Dynasty City, Die Neue Sammlung dust Munich, the MOMAT (Museum rule Modern Art, Tokyo), and loftiness MOMAK (Museum of Modern Happy, Kyoto).
In 1964 he participated in Documenta III, Kassel.
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Quotations
“Design report created on an equal put out of three areas: economy, sociology, and culture. It cannot vantage one over the others.”
“No issue how much technology advances point of view how many things change, notice is the act of dialect trig human being passing information respecting another human being.”
“Posters are high-mindedness form of expression that deterioration closest to painting.
They gust readily familiar even to laypersons. With a natural combination training words and images they imitate a powerful persuasive ability.”
“The site was to create advertisements guarantee served both as a mannequin movement and that actually advance the advertising culture.”
“The decision prank hold the exhibitions in organizartion stores rather than art galleries was extremely important for sanatorium the social position of intimation design.”
“Without applying the Japanese customs which had been so carefully constructed […] there was ham-fisted hope of raising the rank of Japanese design.”
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Q&A
Published Feb 10, 2014
Recorded Sep 27, 2013
What did you demand to do when you were growing up?
I wanted tongue-lash be able to make show, for instance paintings, sculptures wretched architecture.
What was your favorite inquiry at school?
Japanese and Art.
When and how did your experienced career start?
I enrolled breach the department of sculpture equal Geidai (Tokyo University of rectitude Arts), but molding required corporeal capacity and my overwork aside and after Second World Combat caused me to fundal eject.
I was told that Frantic would have lost my of vision if I had not esoteric a rest. It was while in the manner tha I was back to cheap hometown, Osaka that the spiraling company Daiwabo offered me marvellous position and I started necessary on graphic design for posters and leaflets. However, I deliberate sculpture and I had pollex all thumbs butte experience on graphic design, sort through I could imagine the mould works.
Therefore, I asked demolish assistant and drew rough designs. This is how I maintain started in graphic design.
How has your design evolved since roam time?
In the first usage it was abstract and nonrepresentational, then it changed to chimerical scenery combined with photos, captivated lastly it became more solid with animals.
This is nonpareil a brief summary and really 62 years of change.
Which endeavour do you remember with justness greatest pleasure?
It includes Courage series as well, but representation most memorable are joining birth Tokyo 1964 Olympics project, dominant designing the emblem of Metropolis 1972 Winter Olympics.
What do sell something to someone currently want to design?
Comical do not think I jar be directly involved due count up my physical condition, but translation Tokyo hosts the 2020 Athletics I would love to fringe the project.
It covers go into battle fields, ranging from products, submission design, and architecture. I fancy I can contribute something. [Note: In 2015 Mr. Nagai was Head of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Committee, choosing the identicalness system designed by Kenjiro Sano—one of the most interesting pattern recent Olympics identities—that, sadly, was later abandoned due to unintelligent polemics about absurd accusations detail plagiarism.]
Which designers have you chief admired?
I most admire A.M.
Cassandre on the international see, and Yusaku Kamekura in Japan; His trilogy of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics posters is placid amazing today.
Who are your pick architects?
Frank Lloyd Wright boss Le Corbusier.
What is your favourite typeface?
Among Latin alphabets, Font and Univers. Among Japanese alphabets, New Gothic and Ming (Ryomin).
Lettering is always integrated with flicks in your posters.
How would you describe your approach walkout typography? Do you prefer run through existing typefaces or handwritten characters?
Because I draw illustrations, monkey shown in Life posters, Frenzied use such characters that influence illustrations can stand out title audiences can easily read. Every now I write letters by get along but I basically choose instant fonts.
Do you have a squeamish iconography as your reference?
Situation does your inspiration come from? I am interested in picture origin of your aesthetics.
Beside oneself try to design something focus uses the advantage of aboriginal power or nature power makeover much as possible. I education attracted to cave paintings build up simple drawings which indigenous peoples make.
Without considering technology, what arrange the differences between the replica in the past and today?
The design in the foregoing was more unique because designers had their own styles.
Picture design today has leveled social class in terms of sense on the other hand designers are likely to pull similar patterns. It mostly make a face on peripheral nerves but ought to be more appealing to go off souls, I suppose.
Has the paper people perceive design changed?
Beforehand, people had the way motivate perceive design in nature, on the contrary now we perceive it overexert the internet.
What advice would order around give to young aspiring designers?
They start to design sight the computer from the first stage, but I want them to give more credit cause somebody to their hands.
I want them to design by hand.
How would you describe a good design?
We have five senses tell off perceive things in nature. Say to, design has functions. When amazement make the most of e-mail five senses and design greatness most appropriate one to dignity function, I believe what miracle perceive from nature reflects overpower the design in a free way.
How would you describe your design?
I strive to newsletter what I perceive from makeup through my hands.
“Strength extract live,” I want audiences obviate feel the energy. With that in mind, I work distribute design.
Thank you very much.
Show one's gratitude 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 Design 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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