Logo Franetic Horizontal Branco 2
Search
Close this search box.

Remembering Yusaku Kamekura: The Father of Japanese Graphic Design

Table of Contents

yusaku kamekura
Share This Post


Remembering Yusaku Kamekura: The Father of Japanese Graphic Design

Yusaku Kamekura was a Japanese graphic designer who left a significant impact on the field of design through his extraordinary skills, technique, and artistry. Kamekura worked extensively in the post-World War II era, during which he created some of the most iconic designs that became a hallmark of Japanese Graphic Design. In this article, we will explore the life and work of Yusaku Kamekura to understand his contribution to the world of design and how his legacy lives on.

Early Life and Education
Yusaku Kamekura was born in Nara, Japan, in 1915. During his early years, he showed a natural talent for art, which his family encouraged him to pursue. After high school, he enrolled in the Kyoto City School of Fine Arts. He demonstrated a keen interest in typography, and while studying at the university, he started working part-time as an apprentice in a local printing press. This was to be the beginning of Kamekura’s long and successful career in graphic design.

Career
Kamekura started his professional career as an art director at Nippon Kobo, a leading advertising agency in Japan, in 1937. The Second World War presented a significant challenge to Kamekura’s career. The government ordered him to relocate his work to avoid the air raids. Kamekura then started studying modern art and design techniques in his spare time. His skills improved significantly, and he began to implement them in his work.

After the War, Kamekura started his design studio, SKK, which became hugely successful. In 1952, he was chosen to design the emblem of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which earned him international recognition. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Kamekura designed several Olympic posters, commercial advertisements, and book covers, each of which showcased his unique talents.

Kamekura’s Design Style
Kamekura’s artistic style was marked by his keen sense of typography, which he applied to his designs of posters, advertising campaigns, book covers, and corporate branding identities. His use of whitespace and asymmetry to create a sense of balance was a pioneering technique in design at the time.

Kamekura believed that typography is the art form in which an artist can engage with the viewer on an intellectual and emotional level. His work was characterized by its visual language, bold and confident use of negative space, and the use of modernist shapes and forms.

Kamekura’s Legacy
Kamekura’s designs can be found in several public and private collections around the world. The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others, all have collections of Kamekura’s work.

Kamekura’s students played a significant role in Japan’s graphic design industry, and several successful designers emerged from his tutelage. His legacy continues to influence the design industry, particularly in Japan.

FAQs

Q: What was Yusaku Kamekura’s most famous design?
A: Yusaku Kamekura’s design of the emblem of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1952 is his most famous design.

Q: How did Yusaku Kamekura contribute to the Japanese design industry?
A: Yusaku Kamekura contributed significantly to the Japanese design industry by creating several iconic designs that became a hallmark of Japanese design.

Q: What was Yusaku Kamekura’s design style?
A: Yusaku Kamekura’s design style was marked by his keen sense of typography, his use of whitespace and asymmetry to create a sense of balance and modernist shapes and forms.

Q: Why is Yusaku Kamekura considered the father of Japanese graphic design?
A: Yusaku Kamekura is considered the father of Japanese graphic design for his pioneering techniques and unique design style, which influenced several designers who emerged from his tutelage and the wider Japanese design industry.

Q: What is the significance of Yusaku Kamekura’s legacy?
A: Yusaku Kamekura’s legacy continues to influence the design industry, particularly in Japan, and his iconic designs are still celebrated for their modernist approach and use of typography.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore

Do You Want To Boost Your Business?

drop us a line and keep in touch
franetic-agencia-de-marketing-digital-entre-em-contacto