From the beginning of this blog, I think it is supposed to see things more carefully and think more carefully than before, I would like to write down what I noticed.

Everything is a phenomenon that appears in this world. And each world exists as many as living things. “I see this world, how do you see it? Wow, you see (catch) it so. Interesting!” …I write this blog with this thoughts that this difference is rich (detail is from here). If I am conscious of this fact, I become to be interested in the phenomenon itself. In other words, what is it itself rather than something superficial captured that phenomenon. (I write confusingly today!)

As “Wonderful 70’s series”, I introduced Ingegerd Råman (Swedish designer) and Kirin Kiki (Japanese actress).

This time for the third person, Mr. Satoru Miyata representative of Draft Inc. Draft is a design company that deals with advertisement, promotion planning and production, planning and production of CI, VI, brand development. I have a chance to listen to the story of the president of the design company in Japan and I introduce it because I have learned so much.

Today is about Sweden’s leading designer “Ingegerd Råman”, her exhibition is held at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Crafts Gallery until 2018.9.14 – 12.9.

Generally she is known as “designer” or “ceramist”, but she calls herself not “ceramist” but “potter“, not “designer” but “form-giver“.

This is because she does not regard her creations as self-expression but is more aware of her craftsmanship, which is obliged to create vessels for everyday use. The term “designer” in Swedish is “formgivare (form-giver)“, but the term has more specificity in its meaning-to give a form to something, the presence of an object.

Today is the introduction of New York/Brooklyn brand “Out of Print“.

They produce and sell T-shirts etc printed on the cover page of masterpieces of the world at the online shop based on the concept “Wear Literature”. It is a brand whose mission is to ‘make the world’s great novels known to the world through fashion’, a wonderful brand that has commercialized high sense goodness of the analog brilliantly in the digital age. And they donate books to Africa by donating one book to “Books For Africa” ​​every time one item is sold.

You might think the brand is orthodox and serious brand by this explanations but it was born in Brooklyn, New Your you know. It is so cool and the products are very fashionable.

An extremely popular painter whose exhibition is held somewhere every year in Japan, Yumeji Takehisa. I have been to the exhibition “Takehisa Yumeji: Master of Japanese Modern Illustration” held at Tokyo Station Gallery now.

See you at Tokyo Station!

The exhibition consists of four sections. Section 1 is about Takehisa Yumeji (1884-1934) in his youth. Section 2 focuses on his work, such as publishing, printing and woodblocks. Section 3 explores in more detail his work connected with music and score sheets, and Section 4 covers such topics as the original artwork for his autobiographical novel Shuppan (Sailing Off), and publications by Ryuseikaku after Yumeji’s death.
(from TOKYO STATION GALLERY website)

As the title of this exhibition “Takehisa Yumeji: Master of Japanese Modern Illustration”, inside the hall the paintings of Taisho Romantics drawn by Yumeji were in full bloom. A thin, supple and colorful world is like a dream. In the Taisho Period when Western culture began to enter, Japanese and Western mixed up, love was enjoyed, popular culture blossomed. It is an era like a slumber, which is fascinated by the fleeting images of the shortness of only 15 years.

Yumeji was a perfect match to the atmosphere of the times, but today I would like to pay attention to Yumeji as a poet not as a painter.

I have a lot of opportunities to work with Swedish companies or organizations, so I earn about Sweden. Especially as a designer, I pay attention to the high design quality. Last time I introduced the Swedish coffee brand “Lemmel Kaffe“, so I will introduce two Swedish brands today.

The first is craft beer brand “Ominippollo“. Coffee is also a representative beverage in Sweden and Northern Europe, but craft beer is also delicious. Omnippollo was established in 2011, it was chosen Rate Beer Top 100 Brewery in The World. While this brand of vision is “to overturn the image of people’s beer from the bottom”, its label design is super cool as well as its taste. Their message that they want “experiences” rather than “drinking” is spreading in more than 20 countries, including Sweden, Europe, North America, Australia, along with their worldview.

The word “brand” and “branding” often heard in recent years, as I work on graphic and web design, I naturally think about brands. In some cases, I design for the company or institution itself, or design for goods and events. The thing to think about is “How can I tell the message well”. Messages range from direct items such as product descriptions, company messages, corporate and event information to things conveying the world view using image pictures and illustrations.

Meanwhile, as I met a nice brand, I am introducing that today.

It is Swedish band “Lemmel Kaffe“. Coffee is a very familiar drink in the Northern European countries where people drink coffee nearly 800 cups per year. Fika is already synonymous with Swedish culture, I think that coffee is important as well as taking coffee and cinnamon rolls taking a break with family and colleagues.

The vol. 2 of From Designers With Loveis about “In-Flight Safety Video”.

I think choosing airline is important when I travel, I always check the aircrafts, in-flight goods, CA uniform etc. Among them, I look forward to watching “in-flight safety video”.

A few years ago the video of New Zealand Airlines was tied up with the movie ‘Hobbit’, I remember being surprised by the high quality.

I wrote about Zen practice last time, so that I write about why I am interested in Zen this time. The book “Dogen Zen No Kotoba (Japanese Edition)Dec 1, by Katsunori Sakaino” was my first zen book, I read it when I was 20’s at the age of concern, I needed advices or guides then (perhaps still now?!). I found it at a book shop and I thought it seemed easy to understand, Buddhism books usually difficult but it was not for me.

There are four chapters, and 100 teachings in total.

Chapter 1
30 teachings that notice “really important things” – Just a slight change in perspective

Chapter 2
30 teachings that becomes free from “trouble” – It will be easy for you to “thrown away”

Chapter 3
20 teachings that confidence is born out of me – Slowly, carefully at your own pace

Chapter 4
20 teachings that think about “way of life” – Lost and troubles are gone

There is a letterpress printing studio that I go there often several years ago.This time I went to the workshop “Arabic typography card workshop” held there.

I am interested in the language Arabic, also my name in Arabic on my business card workshop! It was very exciting one for a printing & language & design & culture lovers.

Initially I had a lecture on Arabic culture and letters, just listened to the food, customs, culture, religion, languages, etc. It sounded very exotic. The teacher who gave a lecture can speak Arabic, and sounded the language extend the endings so that was also exotic.

What I was interested in Arabic is that letter (shape of) and sound. By the way, three of the languages ​​I’m interested in now (sound version) are below.

– Hawaiian
– Hebrow
– Arabic