Ikko Tanaka (1930 -2002) 🇯🇵 Graphic Design blend of East and West

Ikko Tanaka (1930 – 2002) was a Japanese Graphic Designer. Tanaka created a style of graphic design that fused modernism and Japanese culture, best known for his poster design for the Nihon Buyo performance. He created logos and other visual materials for companies and brands. He is known for making the basic graphic identity for the lifestyle brand Muji. He is also known for using bold, multicoloured geometries and making the most of typography’s dynamic visual potential. He is also known for making posters for Noh performances and other shows and events. He was a major figure in Japanese design after World War II and helped make the field more professional and grow.

Biography

He won the silver prize in the 1968 Warsaw international poster competition and earned a New York Art Directors Club Gold Award. Tanaka’s better-known works include posters for Italian shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo’s 1998 Tokyo exhibit, and he contributed to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, creating the games’ logotype, medal motif and facility pictograms.

Source

Ikko Tanaka, 71; Leading Graphic Designer in Japan – latimes,http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jan/25/local/me-passings25 (accessed March 30, 2017).

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