Shigeo Fukuda 1932–2009
Shigeo Fukuda was a highly influential Japanese post-war graphic designer, known for his radical visual simplicity, fierce wit and political advocacy. Fukuda worked with a universal visual language, inspired by both eastern and western traditions, creating an impactful style well-suited to his anti-war and pro-peace themes.
Fukuda was born in Tokyo in 1932, into a family of toy manufacturers. Aware of his creative proclivities from a young age, Fukuda attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music from 1952 to 1956. During his studies, he was largely interested in the design style originating from Sweden in the 1940s and 1950s, which later became known as the International Style and served as the basis for much mid-century graphic design. This style focused on posters as the most effective means of communication, mathematically-precise layouts, and simplistic, dynamic visual designs. One of Fukuda’s idols, graphic designer Takashi Kono, was also rising to prominence at this time, as he and his contemporaries were working to introduce the west to eastern aesthetics and elevate posters as an art form. Kono was also a veteran and believed socially-conscious, captivating design could be influential on a global scale - surely something that Fukuda was inspired by. Graphic design in Japan in this era, unlike America, was not focused on advertising, thus the medium was seen more as a vehicle for communication and used to spread ideals of pacifism and environmentalism.
Auction Results Shigeo Fukuda
