Articles

Series: Support Lines for Things and People #10: Ikko Tanaka's Humming

2023.05.31

PROFILE

Mai Tsunoo / Design Writer

After graduating from Keio University's Faculty of Environmental Information, worked for a manufacturer and served as assistant to design engineer Shunjji Yamanaka from 2012 to 2016. Later, she stayed in Scotland for a year and is currently working as a freelancer.
While seeking expressions to convey concept without hesitation, she writes for media such as "Nikkei Design", and also works on composition for exhibitions and copywriting.
Major works include the composition of the "もしかする未来工学×デザイン" exhibition celebrating Tokyo Tech's 70th anniversary at the National Art Center, Tokyo in 2018 and text writing for the "虫展―デザインのお手本" at the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT in 2019.
Instagram / Web

I got off at Nara station and took a short walk, and there were deer. I was surprised as I didn't expect to see them so soon. The reason I went to Nara this month is because there is an exhibition called "Ikko Tanaka: Design of Happiness" at the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art. I arrived at the museum in about 10 minutes' walk from the station. Sento was there to greet me.

The late Ikko Tanaka, a graphic designer, was from Nara Prefecture, and the museum has collected more than 200 of his works. This exhibition is a major event, featuring about 180 selected works divided into several genres, such as faces, plants, text, and logos.

The exhibition showcased grouped pieces featuring his iconic face motif, linear flowing water motifs presumably inspired by Rinpa school, posters featuring his original font "Kocho", and other iconic motifs such as pyramids and ropes. Each individual piece seems familiar, but when viewed as a whole, one gets a sense of the subjects, techniques, and attitudes that Tanaka was addressing.

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