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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상명여자대학교 중문과를 졸업하고, 성균관대학교 중어중문학과에서 석사 학위를, 중국 베이징사범대학 중문과에서 박사 학위를 받았다. 현재 상명대학교 계당교양교육원 교수다. 동양 고전을 기반으로 하는 한중 문화 비교 연구와 명저 다시 쓰기 작업을 하고 있다. 저서로 『중국 설창예술의 이해』 『중국 경극 검보의 이해』, 공저로 『종로미각』, 역서 및 공역서로 『열자』 『조씨 고아』 『사치의 제국』 『송원화본』 『장물지』 등이 있다.
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Joachim Müller-Lancé
He graduated with honors from the Basel School of Design in Switzerland and studied art at the Cooper Union in New York, USA. He worked as a senior designer for The Understanding Business and Barclays Global Investors, and organized cultural exhibitions and publications for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. In 1993, he won a gold medal at the Morisawa Typeface Competition in Lancecerro. He is currently the head of Kame Design Studio, where he focuses on graphic design, type design, and … -
Soonbho Park
He graduated from the College of Fine Arts at Hongik University and earned a master’s degree from its graduate school. He obtained a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Bergische Universität Wuppertal. He previously served as a professor at the College of Design at Hongik University and as the director of the Art and Engineering Research Center at the Korea-Germany Graduate School of Engineering. Currently, he is the senior vice president of the Korean Society of Basic Design & Art (KSBDA) and the … -
Kim Jong-kyun
Kim Jong-kyun graduated from Seoul National University with an undergraduate degree in Industrial Design and earned his doctor’s degree in Design from the same institution. He currently serves as an Administrative Officer at the Korean Intellectual Property Office. He is the author of several books, including Design in Korea and Design Wars , and has co-authored many others. Kim has published numerous papers on the history of Korean design, branding, and design intellectual property rights, and … -
Hwal
‘Life designer, lifestyle adventurer, director of the No Money Economic Center, chieftain of the early days of the shortage of balance, thought collector, rag master, place lessor for the multi-base living lifestyle, daytime planner.’ He creates such strange jobs for himself. He majored in industrial design, but converted to life design after realizing that industry is threatening everyone’s life. How can we save life? What kills life? Where can we start to change life? With these topics in … -
Tsuzuki Kyoichi
Kyoichi Tsuzuki was born in Tokyo in 1956. From 1976 to 1986, he was a freelance editor for the influential men’s fashion and lifestyle magazines Popeye and Brutus, where he wrote on contemporary art, design, urban living, and related topics. From 1989 to 1992, he published Art Random (Kyoto Shoin), a 102-volume series covering 1980s trends in global contemporary art. He continues to write and edit works on contemporary art, architecture, photography, design, and more. In 1993, he released the … -
Kim Yeong-seon
She graduated from the Department of Creative Writing at Chung-Ang University and completed coursework in Aesthetics at Hongik University Graduate School. After working as a publishing editor and caregiver, she is currently active as a professional translator. Her translated works include The Death of Truth , Churchill’s Black Dog, Kafka’s Mice , Automating Inequality , Capital Without Borders , To the Letter , The Art of Forgetting and “Why Heidegger Should Not Be … -
Kwanjo
Born in 1943, he attained enlightenment at Beomeosa Temple in Busan in 1960 and passed away in 2006. Since the 1970s, he has been widely capturing Korean temples and nature in his photographs. He has held numerous solo exhibitions, including the Seoul Asian Games Celebration Photo Exhibition and Olympic Celebration Exhibition , as well as overseas exhibitions in Los Angeles, Toronto, and Chicago. His collections of works include Sangha 1–2, Nirvana , Sumidan , Main Buddha Hall , Life, Death, … -
Yoo Da-mi
She has worked as an editor for online and offline media, including Elion , Design Monthly , 1.5°C , and East . She is interested in stories about art, design, climate and environment, cities and spaces, and ways of life. She is currently the editor of C , a magazine published by GrandeClip. -
Jiang Difei
An architect who graduated from the Graduate School of Architecture at Tsinghua University (清華大學) and earned a Ph.D. in Urban Design from Tongji University(同济大学) and a Ph.D. in Geography from Peking University(北京大学). Currently, he serves as the Dean of the School of Architecture and Art at Central South University and as a professor at Peking University. He is the Vice President of the Hunan Provincial Architectural Society and the Hunan Provincial Architectural Artists Association, as well as … -
Lee sang-hoon
He graduated with honors from Hongik University, College of Fine Arts. He received his master’s degree in contextual design from Design Academy Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and his doctorate in educational psychology from Korea University. He was selected as a Korean Next Generation Design Leader by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and is currently a professor at the Department of Design Convergence, College of Architecture, Hongik University. -
Im Tae-su
A professional dedicated to uncovering the philosophy and values hidden within brands and delivering their unique essence to everyday life. Preferring leisure, simplicity, and thoughtful conversations, he tends to limit gatherings to four people or fewer. With experience at the brand consulting firm Brand&Company, Hanwha Hotels & Resorts Marketing Strategy Team, the brand experience design firm Plus X, and Kakao Pay Brand Marketing Team, he now runs Standard Project. He has led brand …