When it comes to the soul figure of Japanese graphic design, the 93-year-old Eiko Ishioka is definitely a household name. Throughout his career, Ishioka has been involved in the production of over a thousand posters, with his design style closely following the changes of the times. Since the late 1980s, he has been dedicated to creating the vibrant and energetic “LIFE” series, which has become his acclaimed iconic theme.
To review the 70-year creative journey of this design master, 27 galleries will soon bring the first large-scale exhibition of Kazumasa Nagai’s works to local audiences in Hong Kong. The exhibition will showcase four chapters in chronological order, featuring over a hundred classic posters and etchings from the 1950s to the present. The most anticipated part is that Nagai’s adorable characters will come to life in three dimensions through large-scale installations!
The first chapter of the exhibition is “The Eye of Design,” focusing on the corporate posters, cultural event posters, logos, magazine covers, and book covers created by Nagai in the 1950s to 1970s. At that time, influenced by the abstract composition thinking of Ikko Tanaka, his design style also tended towards geometric abstraction. In his works, we can also see the aesthetic collision between modernism and Japanese traditionalism.
The second chapter is titled “Beyond the Sky”, where Nagai presents an unprecedented sense of space through a series of posters he has been creating since 1974 for “GQ”, “Kawakichi”, and “Graphic 4”. Some elements of space and landscapes express his vision of futurism. He begins to emphasize the combination and use of lines and patterns in composition, bringing a multi-dimensional visual effect.
Chapter Three, titled “Thinking in Images,” Yonai has been blending patterns with Eastern traditional aesthetics and modern imagery since the late 1980s, bringing hand-drawn style auspicious animals, plant totems, and other concrete subjects. In addition to expressing the idea of “harmony and coexistence between humans and animals and plants,” it also expresses concern for endangered species and environmental conservation.
The fourth chapter of the exhibition focuses on “Friends of Life”, with Nagai experiencing a stylistic transition from abstract to concrete, and has been exploring creations with living beings as the theme. The entire “LIFE” series documents his transition from commercial design to personal creative field, with the theme emphasizing the pure and authentic pulse of the natural world.
The presented works this time mainly showcase his evolving creative style, from geometric abstraction, photographic collage experiments, to abstract creation, we can all see the endless creative inspiration of this design master.
《Eikazu Nagai Moment • Eternity》
Date: September 30 to October 12
Time: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm (Monday to Friday) / 11:00 am to 9:00 pm (Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays)
Location: K11 MUSEA 6F Kunsthalle
