Takenobu Igarashi

Bio:

He attained international acclaim as a graphic designer in the mid-1970s through his axonometric alphabets. In 1979, GRAPHIS, a leading Swiss design magazine introduced and... featured his work, followed by four more issues, the last one in 1998. On the other hand, he strived to introduce outstanding works of international designers by planning, gathering material, editing, and doing the layout and design all by himself in publications such as Graphic Designers on the West Coast, a special issue of IDEA magazine, and three volumes of World Trademarks and Logotypes. During this time, he also designed visual identity (VI) programs for domestic as well as international clients such as Meiji Milk Products Co. Ltd., Suntory Holdings Ltd., Mitsui Bank Ltd., Tama Art University, Oji Paper Co. Ltd., and UHAG. In the 1980s he started making alphabet sculptures and also advanced into the field of product design. For the Museum of Modern Art, New York, he produced a series of graphic and product design goods. The calendar with three-dimensional numerals, which he designed for eight consecutive years, is one of his masterpieces. In the late 80s he supported Japanese regional industries by designing products employing their traditional craftsmanship. The series of products (YMD) developed through this project was sold in American and European museum stores. He was nominated and accepted as the member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) in 1980. From 1983 to 1989 he served two terms in the board of directors of the organization. Actively involved in nurturing the younger generation, he has taught at Chiba University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He collaborated in the foundation of the Faculty of Design at Tama Art University (Kaminoge Campus) to set up the first computerized design education in Japan, and was the first Head of Design Department. In 1988, he was invited as a Hallmark Fellow to give a speech on the final day of the Aspen Design Conference which was met with standing ovation. In 1994, he ended his 25 years of design activity and moved to Los Angeles to become a sculptor. After working with marble, he discovered terracotta and wood as his material. He returned to Japan in June 2004. In recent years, he has been producing various sculptures and reliefs for public spaces all over Japan and has resumed his design activity from another view point as an artist. Representative works are in the permanent collection of over 30 museums world wide including MoMA. Books on his work have been published in Japan, China, Korea, Germany and Switzerland. He has been awarded the Commendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Katsumi Masaru Award, the Mainichi Design Award, the IF Design Award and the Good Design Award for his achievements and activities in the field of graphic and product design. Appointed as President of Tama Art University from April 2011.Read More

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Design

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Takenobu Igarashi

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