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The ddd gallery is proud to present the work of Issay Kitagawa, known as the
creator of a unique graphic world that is both startlingly original and somehow
familiar. Executed with elegance and printed with delicate precision, his work
seems to raise an alarm over the dehumanization of our society, caused by increasing
trends of rationalization and conceptualization, and dependence on computers
that has pervaded in recent years.
Communication of an awareness between humans is a cycle of the formation and
dissolution of common awareness, where consciousness is shared, yet at the same
time we are conscious of a gap between us. The wellspring of creativity lies
in the fissure between consciousness and unconsciousness. Based on the idea that
individuals’ sensibilities and intuitions, fused with conceptualization,
ought to act directly and physically on viewers, installations in this exhibition
were designed to exert bodily, physical effects on visitors. The exhibition seeks
to let them encounter what lies in the fuzzy, obscured depths of consciousness,
or to discover the blank—or is it a glimpse through to another realm?—in
the fissure of consciousness.
The intentions of the artist are present in every work of art, yet viewers are
also free to take away other thoughts and feelings unrelated to these intentions.
In the world of today, diversity and individuality are celebrated on the surface,
yet in reality it seems as if society conspires to suppress them at every turn.
This exhibition, however, offers a space that welcomes any and all original interpretations
of viewers. Kitagawa says, “People should be free to experience art in
a wide variety of ways. In the midst of their differences they may find a shared
awareness, or what seemed to be a shared awareness may crumble apart. Sensory
experiences like these build up within the body of each person. I believe that
over the course of time, these amassed sensory experiences become sources of
creativity.”
For those who work in creative fields, and also for those who don’t,
this exhibition provides an opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the richness
and the liberty that comes with being truly human. |
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March 23 (Tue.) to May 12 (Wed.), 2010 (closed on Sundays, Mondays and
national holidays)
11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. on Saturdays)
Admission free
ddd gallery
1F Namba SS Bldg., 1-17-28 Minamihorie, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-8508
Tel: 06-6110-4635 Fax 06-6110-4639
Five-minute walk from Namba Station on the Yotsubashi Subway Line
| Date and Time : |
March 23 (Tue.), 2010
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Speaker : |
Issay Kitagawa (GRAPH), Ryoji Tanaka and Toshiyuki Sugai (Semitransparent
Design) |
| Venue : |
Namba SS Bldg. |
Admission free, reservations required (seating capacity: 70).
For reservations, please contact the ddd gallery.
| Date and Time : |
March 23 (Tue.), 2010
5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Venue : |
ddd gallery |
■ Concurrent Exhibitions
“MULTIPLE IMPACT = Issay Kitagawa” in Four Kansai Galleries
The Issay Kitagawa Exhibition will be exhibited concurrently at four Kansai galleries.
Venues other than the ddd gallery are:
YOD Gallery
| Dates : |
April 6 (Tue.) to April 29 (Thu.)
Art Robot “Kii-chan” comes to life! |
| Event : |
April 24 (Sat.) at 2:00 p.m.
www.yodgallery.com |
mihoproject studio yu-an
Seian University of Art and Design Gallery Artsite
| Dates : |
April 22 (Thu.) to May 15 (Sat.)
All the greatest GRAPH designs that have graced the university, brought together
in one place!
www.seian.ac.jp/ |
* Please visit individual gallery websites for further details, event information,
etc.
Profile of Issay Kitagawa:
Head Designer, GRAPH Co., Ltd.
Born 1965 in Kasai, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Graduated from University of Tsukuba.
Recognized as one of Japan’s 20 most influential designers in the book New
Blood (published 2001), an overview of contemporary architecture, art, design
and fashion.
Was globally acclaimed throughout the design world for his outstanding work published
in the internationally recognized design magazine Idea. Elected to serve
on the jury of the highly respected British D&AD Awards and the New York
Art Directors Club Awards. Was also elected one of only 25 Japanese members of
AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), a club for the world’s leading
graphic designers. Has a number of his works in the permanent collection of the
Bibliothèque nationale de France as examples of “outstanding book
design and print techniques in recent years.” Kitagawa’s influence
on both Japanese and international design has been considerable, and his pioneering
of new creative territory continues.
In 2008, exhibited work at London’s Frieze Art Fair, one of the world’s
leading art fairs.
Is the recipient of numerous awards including the JAGDA New Designer Award and
Tokyo TDC Award.
Author of Kawaru Kachi (“Changing Values”), published by
Works Corporation
GRAPH website: http://www.moshi-moshi.jp/
The Intuitive Power of Issay Kitagawa
The design work of Issay Kitagawa transcends stereotyped notions, never ceasing
to startle with its freshness. At times, his fantastic designs teeter on the
verge of imbalance. This is fully intentional and a means of entangling the viewer
completely in Kitagawa’s world. It is forward-thinking visual communication
using unexpected vocabulary and approaches.
Kitagawa’s is a sensibility backed by objectivity and reason. With an unwavering
focus on communication, he has evolved a theory of design, but theory is just
a starting point from which to explore and refine free-ranging thought and intuition.
This thought and intuition is stunningly executed using a range of highly advanced
printing techniques both digital and analog, making for a world of design that’s
completely new and yet somehow nostalgic. It is design with a warm touch, and
seems to spring naturally from a distillation of the traditional Japanese animistic
awareness, reverence for the deities that dwell everywhere in the natural world.
Kazumasa Nagai |
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