the decision to hold the exhibitions in department stores rather than art galleries was extremely important for establishing the social position of graphic design.
—kazumasa nagai
Poster for Museum of Modern Art, Toyama, 1989. © DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion.
In 2015 Kazumasa Nagai was the head of the Tokyo Olympics Committee that chose the identity system designed by Kenjiro Sano—one of the most interesting of recent Olympic identities—that, sadly, was later abandoned due to absurd accusations of plagiarism.
Logo design for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games by Kenjiro Sano.
Théâtre de Liège logo.
design in the past was more unique because designers had their own styles. design today has leveled up in terms of sense but designers are likely to follow similar patterns. it mostly works on peripheral nerves but should be more appealing to our souls, i think. —kazumasa nagai
Poster Identity, 1976. © DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion.
In 2014 fashion designer Issey Miyake created a line of clothing and accessories for his Pleats Please brand inspired by the works of Nagai. Each item was based on a motif of five stylized animals from the poster “Life,” which Nagai painted in 1993.
Poster from “LIFE” series, 1993. © DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion.
Collaboration between Pleats Please Issey Miyake and Kazumasa Nagai, 2014. © Issey Miyake Inc.
Poster from "LIFE" series, 1993. © DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion.
Collaboration between Pleats Please Issey Miyake and Kazumasa Nagai, 2014. © Issey Miyake Inc.
Collaboration between Pleats Please Issey Miyake and Kazumasa Nagai, 2014. © Issey Miyake Inc.
Poster from “LIFE” series, 1993. © DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion.
Collaboration between Pleats Please Issey Miyake and Kazumasa Nagai, 2014. © Issey Miyake Inc.
the package can embody certain personal and spiritual values and not only serve a material purpose. this attitude is related to the spirit of the tea ceremony or of zen buddhism. perhaps as a result, many traditional japanese packages display a simple and sober charm rather than being decorative. —kazumasa nagai
Advertisement poster for Asahi, 1965.