Tomoko Miho (1931–2012) was an American designer of Japanese origin, known primarily for her powerful posters inspired by Swiss international style.
Tomoko Miho (1931–2012) was an American designer of Japanese origin, known primarily for her powerful posters inspired by Swiss international style.
Tomoko Miho. We haven’t established the author of this image. Please contact us if you are the rights owner.
Tomoko Miho. We haven’t established the author of this image. Please contact us if you are the rights owner.
Between the 1960s and 1980s Tomko worked for design firm George Nelson and Co. and then at the Center for Advanced Research in Design. In the 1980s she established her own firm, Tomoko Miho Co. Tomoko’s works are currently owned by MoMA, Library of Congress, and Cooper Hewitt. As a kid, Miho was held in American concentration camps as the daughter of Japanese-Americans, though she has rarely ever spoken about these experiences later in life.
Between the 1960s and 1980s Tomko worked for design firm George Nelson and Co. and then at the Center for Advanced Research in Design. In the 1980s she established her own firm, Tomoko Miho Co. Tomoko’s works are currently owned by MoMA, Library of Congress, and Cooper Hewitt. As a kid, Miho was held in American concentration camps as the daughter of Japanese-Americans, though she has rarely ever spoken about these experiences later in life.
65 bridges to New York poster created by Tomko Miho, 1968.
65 bridges to New York poster created by Tomko Miho, 1968.
Miho attended the Minneapolis School of Art and the Art Center School in Los Angeles, earning a degree in industrial design. She was first employed as a packaging designer, but later went to work as an art director for George Nelson and Co. in New York. Miho is known for her clever use of perspective and ingenious utilization of space in both foreground and background. Her use of shapes and space make her pieces clean, crisp, and extremely readable with a touch of complexity. Miho attributes her design vision to an Asian garden philosophy, Shakkei. The intent is not to create a lesser representation of something beautiful that you have witnessed, but to incorporate the original beauty into your garden. Miho applied this principle to her work and carefully gardened every inch of graphic space. Miho served on the AIGA Board of Directors and was a long-time member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI).
Miho attended the Minneapolis School of Art and the Art Center School in Los Angeles, earning a degree in industrial design. She was first employed as a packaging designer, but later went to work as an art director for George Nelson and Co. in New York. Miho is known for her clever use of perspective and ingenious utilization of space in both foreground and background. Her use of shapes and space make her pieces clean, crisp, and extremely readable with a touch of complexity. Miho attributes her design vision to an Asian garden philosophy, Shakkei. The intent is not to create a lesser representation of something beautiful that you have witnessed, but to incorporate the original beauty into your garden. Miho applied this principle to her work and carefully gardened every inch of graphic space. Miho served on the AIGA Board of Directors and was a long-time member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI).
Logo for Omniplan architectural company designed by Tomko Miho, 1970.
Logo for Omniplan architectural company designed by Tomko Miho, 1970.
Great architecture in Chicago poster, 1967. Design: Tomoko Miho. © 2002–2019 Chicago Design Archive.
Great architecture in Chicago poster, 1967. Design: Tomoko Miho. © 2002–2019 Chicago Design Archive.
Herman Miller Library Group Catalog Brochure, 1968. Design: Tomko Miho. Creative Director: John Massey. © 2019 West Michigan Graphic Design Archives.
Herman Miller Library Group Catalog Brochure, 1968. Design: Tomko Miho. Creative Director: John Massey. © 2019 West Michigan Graphic Design Archives.