Ikko Tanaka was a Japanese graphic designer. Tanaka is widely recognized for his prolific body of interdisciplinary work, which includes graphic identity and visual matter for brands and corporations including Seibu Department Stores, Mazda, Issey Miyake, Hanae Mori, and Expo 85. He is credited with developing the foundational graphic identity for lifestyle brand Muji, emphasizing the “no brand” quality of their products through unadorned, charming line drawings paired with straightforward slogans. His use of bold, polychromatic geometries and his harnessing of the dynamic visual potential of typography are undergirded by a sensitivity towards traditional Japanese aesthetics. Though keenly sensitive to historical precedents and established conventions, Tanaka nevertheless maintained a degree of playfulness in his work, manipulating color, scale, and form to reconfigure familiar iconographies into fresh and accessible visual representations. Tanaka is also widely recognized for his posters designs for Noh productions and other performances and exhibitions staged in Japan and beyond. He was active in realms of typography, exhibition design, and book design as well, and his publication Japan Style was released in 1980 alongside the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition of the same name. As a leading figure in postwar Japanese design, Tanaka is also credited with playing a role in the professionalization and expansion of the discipline.
Authors
Tanaka Ikko
田中一光
다른 사람들
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1947–2017. Goethean biologist and the Founding Director of the Life Science Trust, based at Pishwanton Wood in East Lothian, Scotland, at the foot of the Lammermuir Hills. She studied zoology and genetics with agricultural acience at Edinburgh University in the 1960s and worked there as a Research Associate in the 1970s on questions of population genetics and evolutionary biology. Later on, still carrying questions into the reality and relationship of taxonomy and evolution, she spent four …
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Yoon Min-goo
Yoon Min-goo was born in 1989. Graphic designer and font designer. He draws letters and turns them into fonts. He has created various Korean fonts, starting with the web font Barngul in 2002. A separate interest is modern paleontology. He is fascinated by the process of providing letters as materials to workers in various fields and collaborating with them to produce unexpected results. -
Choi Hyuk-kyoo
A member of the steering committee at the Center for Cultural Society and a former activist with the Cultural Action. Currently works in the field of cultural education. Maintains a steady interest in technology, culture, and labor while studying cultural theory and social sciences. -
Kim Sun-nyeo
Pen name Kim Sia. Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris-III is a PhD candidate in French Modern Literature under the supervision of Prof. Serge Martin. She is also a writer on picture book criticism and European special education. -
Ryu Biho
Since his first solo exhibition Steel Sun in 2000, she has been working with contemporary artists, exhibition curators, and media sociologists to co-organize and research new artistic activities in a media-connected society, such as Art Practice through Hacking (2001) and Parasite-Tactical Media Networks (2004-2006). While organizing and executing these activities, he has also executed various projects such as Dramatic Practice (2010), Co-operative Escape (2010), Twinfix (2011), In My Sky at … -
Hans Rudolf Bosshard
Born in 1929, he completed an apprenticeship in typesetting and later worked as an instructor. He taught photography and graphic design at various colleges and at the Zurich School of Design, while also serving as a teacher at the Zurich School of Industrial Design, where he developed lifelong learning programs in typographic design. His work spans book design for the cultural sector, exhibition catalogs, posters, and exhibition and installation design. A prolific writer, he has authored … -
Chung Hye-uk
Studied Visual Communication Design in the Department of Industrial Design at the College of Fine Arts, Seoul National University. Earned a master’s degree in New Media Design from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a Ph.D. in Visual Communication from the Graduate School of Communication at Yonsei University. Currently, she serves as a professor at the Content School of Cheonggang University of Culture and Industry. -
Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism
Established in 2017, the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism explores the diverse challenges arising from rapid urban growth through the lens of architecture and urbanism. With a focus on Seoul and other global cities, the Biennale seeks to address pressing urban issues and propose innovative solutions. The Biennale features Thematic Exhibitions centered on a specific theme, Guest Cities Exhibition showcasing pioneering public projects from around the globe, and On-site Projects that … -
Bong Seong-chang
2005년 경향게임스에서 게임 전문기자를 시작으로, 지디넷코리아 산업팀장, 씨넷코리아 편집장을 거치며 IT 전문기자로, 매일경제TV 산업팀장과 비즈한국 산업팀장을 거쳐 경제 전문기자로 전문 영역을 꾸준히 확대해 왔다. 2017년부터 비즈한국에서 개최하는 ‘브랜드비즈 컨퍼런스’를 기획 총괄하며, 기업의 브랜딩 및 디자인 전반에도 관심이 많다. -
Koyama Ryusuke
Associate Professor Koyama started his business career at a major advertising agency after receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at Kyoto University. After working as a producer at Shochiku Co., Ltd. to launch a new business based on the theme of Kabuki, he established Bloom Concept Inc. Professor Koyama received an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and Ph.D. from Kyoto University of the Arts, before joining NUCB Business School in 2015, and his research interests … -
Seongyoon Min
She graduated from the Department of Visual Design in the College of Arts at Dongduk Women’s University, as well as its graduate school. She participated in planning and directing the “Innocence Room” exhibition at the Daejeon Expo Regeneration Sculpture Hall and organized the “World Children’s Art Exhibition” there. She worked as a designer at the Asia Cultural Exchange Institute and is currently serving as the Design Director at the Korea Electric Power Corporation(KEPCO). -
Kim Sun-hee
She graduated from Hongik University, College of Fine Arts, Department of Industrial Design and received his MFA from Pratt Institute Graduate School of Industrial Design. Since 1995, she has been a keynote professor at Samsung Art and Design Institute (SADI), and since 1999, she has been a research professor at Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute’s Department of Industrial Design in New York City. Currently, she teaches three-dimensional sculpture at Parsons School of …