Artist of the day: Artist of the Day, January 20, 2026 : Takenobu Igarashi, a Japanese graphic artist (#2464)

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Artist of the Day, January 20, 2026 : Takenobu Igarashi, a Japanese graphic artist (#2464)

In the mid-1970s, while working as a graphic designer, Takenobu Igarashi (1945-2025) gained worldwide recognition for his alphabet artworks using axonometric projection. In 1979, Graphis, a design magazine from Switzerland, published the first of five individual features about his work, with the final feature appearing in 1998. He initiated, researched, edited, laid out, and designed numerous design books, including “Graphic Designers on the West Coast” (IDEA magazin) and the three-volume series “World Trademarks and logotypes ,” to showcase exceptional international examples. He also developed various visual identity (VI) plans for domestic and international clients. Notable projects include designs for Suntory Hall, Meiji Milk, Oji Paper, Noritz, Tama Art University, JR Tower (Sapporo), Summit Stores, Mitsui Bank, PARCO PART3, and Calpis Food Industry.

In the 1980s, Igarashi began sculpting alphabets and ventured into product design. He created graphics and products for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, including a notable 3D calendar composed of sculptural numbers. By the late 1980s, he was actively supporting regional industries across Japan, utilizing their techniques to develop a series of products (YMD) sold in museum shops and design stores in Europe and the United States. In 1980, he was nominated and became a member of the International Graphic Alliance (AGI). From 1983 to 1989, he served as a board member (IEC) for two terms, totaling six years.

He actively engaged in mentoring the next generation by teaching at Chiba University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and participating in the establishment of the Department of Fine Arts at Tama Art University, where he served as the first chair of the Design Department, pioneering computer-based design education in Japan. In 1988, he was invited as a Hallmark Fellow to the Aspen Design Conference, where he delivered a keynote speech on the final day, receiving enthusiastic applause from the packed audience.

In 1994, after 25 years as a designer, Igarashi transitioned to become a sculptor and relocated to Los Angeles. He primarily worked with marble before exploring wood and terra-cotta. In June 2004, he returned to Japan. In recent years, he has created numerous sculptures and reliefs for public spaces across Japan. He organized the “Tarokichigura Design Conference” from 2007 to 2020, engaging in design activities from a unique perspective.

Many of his works, including those at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, are permanently housed in over 30 public museums worldwide. The Takeo Archives contain a significant collection of his graphic design works, and the Igarashi Takenobu Archives, established in 2023 within Kanazawa Institute of Technology, house over 5,000 donated pieces for public exhibition. His monographs have been published in Japan, China, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has been honored with awards such as the Foreign Minister’s Commendation, the Katzumie Masaru Award, the Mainichi Design Award, the IF Design Award, the Good Design Award, and the Hokkaido Cultural Award for his contributions to graphic and product design, as well as sculpture.

He served as the Ambassador for Shin-Totsukawa Town and Honorary Professor at Tama Art University, and continued his work at the Atelier and Gallery ‘Igarashi Takenobu Art Museum Kazenobi’ in Shin-Totsukawa Town, Hokkaido, until 2024.

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