Ahn Graphics

Steal the Poster: +3

ポスターを盗んでください+3

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Even for Hara Kenya, the renowned master of Japanese graphic design, there was once a time when he was just a fledgling designer. Steal the Poster offers an intimate glimpse into those formative years and beyond, capturing 15 years of relentless creativity and introspection.

Originally published in 1995, this essay collection gathers 50 pieces Hara wrote for the monthly magazine Shosetsu Shincho between 1991 and 1994. Reflecting on his journey, Hara writes, “I see my intellectual and creative peak arriving around age 65, leaving the next 15 years as a space for growth and reflection. This book is not only a record of my past but also a whip to spur me forward into the future.”

Hara describes this period as a meaningful ‘gap’—a time to look back on his work and focus deeply on the essence of design. The essays reveal a designer grappling with the creative process, revisiting past projects, and contemplating the role of design in a broader cultural and philosophical context.

Steal the Poster is more than a memoir; it’s an inspiring dialogue between the present and the past, rich with lessons for aspiring designers and anyone intrigued by the mind of a true creative visionary.

Hara Kenya

Born in 1958, he is a designer, President of the Nippon Design Center, and a professor at Musashino Art University. Known for groundbreaking exhibitions that challenge conventional values, he has curated projects such as RE-DESIGN – The Daily Products of the 21st Century, JAPAN CAR – Designs for a Crowded World, and HOUSE VISION, which have had a global impact. He applied design deeply rooted in Japanese culture for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Nagano Olympics and the Aichi Expo. Since 2002, he has served as the art director for MUJI and has worked across diverse fields, designing for Matsuya Ginza, Mori Building, Tsutaya Books, Ginza Six, Mikimoto, Yamato Transport, and the visual identity (VI) for Xiaomi in China. In 2008–2009, he held large-scale solo exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai. At the 2016 Milan Furniture Fair, he collaborated with Italian architect Andrea Branzi on the exhibition New Primitive Era – 100 Verbs, presenting human history as a co-evolution of tools and desires. He is also the general producer of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ JAPAN HOUSE, focusing on leveraging Japanese culture as a resource for the future. In 2019, he launched the website Low Flying – High Resolution Tour, introducing Japan from a unique perspective and exploring innovative approaches to tourism. He is the author of several books, including Designing Design, 100 Whites, Design of the Future, and The Secret of Macaroni Holes.

Lee Kyu-won

She majored in Japanese at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. She has worked as an editor for many years, organizing books in various fields including science, humanities, and history. She is currently working as a professional translator. He has translated Miyuki Miyabe’s Reason, Seicho Matsumoto’s Masterpiece Short Story Collection, Alaska, A Story Like the Wind, Tadao Ando’s I, Architect, and more than 80 other books.
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