Three leading designers of Japan reinterpret "Hokusai Patterns"
"Hokusai Design Contemporary Printsfrom Hokusai Design Sketchbook"by Katsumi Asaba, Koichi Sato and Shin Matsunaga
Katsushika Hokusai was a genious ukiyo-e artist who brought numerous masterpieces into the world. He also drew designs for fine-patterned dyeing, which were compiled in a book entitled "Hokusai Moyo Gafu (Hokusai Design Sketchbook)." In 1986, the woodblocks used to print "Hokusai Moyo Gafu" were discovered in storage at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in the United States. The old woodblocks were returned to Japan and used to make new prints by artisans at the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints who have mastered traditional woodcut printing techniques.
When "Hokusai Moyo Gafu" was released nearly 150 years after its first publication, Hokusai's modern and ingenious designs became the focus of public attention once again and stimulated the imagination of contemporary creators.
In 1987, the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints invited three top Japanese designers who resonated with Hokusai's sensibilities to join in a project called "Hokusai Design Contemporary Prints from Hokusai Design Sketchbook". Katsumi Asaba, Koichi Sato and Shin Matsunaga recomposed the patterns included in "Hokusai Moyo Gafu" to create a new world of woodcut prints.
- Katsumi Asaba
- Koichi Sato
- Shin Matsunaga
Katsumi Asaba（1940-）
Katsumi Asaba was born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1940. After graduating from Kuwasawa Design School and working at Light Publicity, he established the Katsumi Asaba Design Studio in 1975. As art director, he produced many memorable posters and commercials, playing a leading role in the history of advertising design in Japan. Representative works include advertising campaigns for Seibu Department Stores ("Oishii Seikatsu"), the official poster for the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano and the logo of the Democratic Party of Japan. He has received many awards, including the Tokyo TDC Award, Mainichi Design Prize and Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.
