DESIGN NAME: Sharaku
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Poster
INSPIRATION: 200 years ago in the mid Edo era there was a painter called Sharaku. Around that time the world had been in a corruption of public morals and the cabinet had to undergo a strict rules and controls. Despite of the critical situation there were many painters who gained a great success through the activities. The painter Sharaku pointed out his originality in his works and tried to stand out from the other painter who were already in the market. He also avoided being a stereotype and he did his own things as it came. These are the reasons I got inspired from.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The most important part of this exhibition is to focus on the Sharaku the person him or herself everything else were allowed to express. There is a history behind the subject but I tried not be orthodox. The theme has been chosen freely. Since we do not know the gender of Sharaku so I set the person as a woman and kept the taste of the paintings and mixed it with the fashion concept. There is no setting of an era or a period there are experimental challenges and it includes the impact for the art direction. Sharaku has boldly exaggerated the faces and bodies of the Kabuki actors. This type of technique has been an unique one at that time and as well a progressed idea in the scene. Therefore I wanted to show the Sharaku’s view of the world in my own way of boldness and expressed myself freely.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: The idea and the style of Sharaku were extremly beyond the common sense that people would never have expected 200 years ago. This was one of the reason that the Japanese society turned a cold shoulder but after a certain time the paintings have been highly recognized in Europe. It is always hard to overturn the common sense and change one’s opinions in any generations and countries. I hope you enjoy my works leaving out all the rules and routines you use to live with.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in Tokyo in August 2016, ended in Tokyo in October 2016, and was exhibited in Tokyo Design Week in November 2016.
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: I tried not to use graphical techniques too much. My aim was to finish the objects in the photographs themselves using the pictorial design. I worked with fashion designer producing several socks and also with the interior designer making a Kabuki mirror. My intension is to choose furnitures which fit into one’s view of the world as the artist Sharaku did when he was alive. I kept the tenderness and the mystical contemporary art of the painter in my structures. The graphics helped to optimize the photographs this is how I ended up with the result.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: The size of the poster is A1 size, 594mm - 841mm.
TAGS: Kabuki, history, painter, contemporary, Japan, tradition, product design, graphic design, fashion, Tokyo
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: I did a lot of research about Sharaku such as his(her) works the identity of the painter the culture the mores of Edo era. I enjoyed watching movies drama series and reading books and Mangas and got to know the background of the mysterious artist. Many people believed Sharaku was a man and worked as a backstage staff for Kabuki theatre and meanwhile he carried on drawing. But there is no evidence for anything about his personality. Due to the fact the imagination increases more and more for people who get in touch with the works of Sharaku. Reflecting the story I also tried to express freely in my works and I hope to arouse interests through the ideas of modernity.
CHALLENGE: The most difficult part was the unrestricted part. My purpose was not to use many graphics and typography. Just to present a standard photography works wasn’t my intension. Many works in Edo era used to be in full of colors and they were gorgeously drawn. It was a long way to collect many documents and resources and finally I came up with the idea of creating a female character of Sharaku. I concentrated on the deeply and waney image of a woman. Me and my staffs exchanged opinions on every single details of the concept and made a conclusion for models, styling, hair making and items. It was a long way to walk to find an appropriate and a qualitative furniture within the limits of the budget. All in all thanks to our challenging mind the shooting was a blast and we could have a stunning result of the graphic design in the end.
ADDED DATE: 2017-09-22 12:11:52
TEAM MEMBERS (1) :
IMAGE CREDITS: Image #1: Creative direction Yasuhito Takeuchi, Art direction Yasuhito Takeuchi, Photographer Junji Ishiguro, Hair & make up Minako Suzuki, Styling Tsuyoshi Takahashi, Cast Karin, Sox design Takahiro Gonno, Sox Graphic design Yasuhito Takeuchi, Kabuki Poster Frame design Yasuhito Takeuchi, Kabuki Poster Frame production Akihiko Yoshida
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