Exhibition Archive

Exhibition information

The 380th Ginza Graphic Gallery Exhibition Poems of Eternal Life
The World of Kazumasa Nagai’s Images and Words

October 09, 2020 - November 21, 2020

デザイン:永井一正
Design: Kazumasa Nagai
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In the spring of 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic was beginning to wreak serious havoc in Japan, a new book by Kazumasa Nagai was published by Geijutsu Shinbunsha. Titled Poems of Eternal Life, the book is a sequel to Mr. Nagai’s earlier collection, Poems of Life, integrating his “LIFE” series of graphics with newly penned original verses of magical charm. The new collection resonates deeply, especially in these challenging times. Mr. Nagai’s observations on life, in particular the current need for all humanity – creatures who have long lived in glorious but self-centered independence – to rely on each other as never before, contain truths we all must contemplate. “Humans are but one of the infinite beings alive on this Earth.” (page 12) “We must live together, for we are all connected.” (page 194)

This autumn, ginza graphic gallery (ggg) will hold an exhibition giving three-dimensional form to the worldview expressed in Kazumasa Nagai’s Poems of Eternal Life. The ground floor of the gallery will be transformed into a forest of thoughtfully gleaned visuals and poems featured in Poems of Eternal Life and the earlier Poems of Life, which was published after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disaster. The basement level will contain vividly alive creatures from “LIFE,” Mr. Nagai’s ever-evolving series of graphics started in the late 1980s.

We hope this exhibition will inspire visitors to rethink their values and come away with a renewed commitment to living in harmony together.
In tandem with the exhibition, a collection of Mr. Nagai’s graphic works will be published in high-definition printing.

Venue

DNP Ginza Building 1F/B1
7-2, Ginza 7-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
TEL: 03-3571-5206 / FAX: 03-3289-1389
Open hours: 11:00am - 7:00pm.
Closed on Sundays and holidays
Admission free

*After reopening, the gallery will adhere to relevant guidelines and take necessary measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Please see HERE for details before your visit. 
 

Supervisor

Kazufumi Nagai

Cooperation

Geijutsu Shinbunsha

Video Production

Ryoji Tanaka, Hirofumi Kaneko(Semitransparent Design)

Sound Production

evala (See by Your Ears)

Exhibition’s VR contents​

Please enjoy the Poems of Eternal Life — The World of Kazumasa Nagai’s Images and Words exhibition space and works online.

Japanese ver.
English ver.

Kazumasa Nagai

Graphic Designer
Born in Osaka in 1929, Kazumasa Nagai attended Tokyo National University of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts), where he studied Sculpture until withdrawing in 1951. In 1960, he participated in the founding of the Nippon Design Center, together with Ikko Tanaka and other up-and-coming young designers. In 1975 Mr. Nagai became that organization’s president, and he currently serves as its chief executive advisor. He also serves as special advisor to JAGDA.
During his long career he has created logomarks, CI and posters for numerous clients including: the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics, Okinawa Expo ’75, Ibaraki and Niigata prefectures, Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA), Asahi Breweries, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, etc. In the late 1980s Mr. Nagai launched his “LIFE” series featuring flora and fauna motifs, and in 2003 his creative endeavors expanded to copperplate printmaking.
He has won a host of awards, both global and domestic: Tokyo ADC Grand Prize, Yusaku Kamekura Design Award, Mainichi Design Award, Mainichi Art Award, Himeji Cultural Arts Grand Prize, Warsaw International Poster Biennale Gold Prize, and International Biennial of Graphic Design Brno Grand Prize. From the Japanese Government he has received the prestigious Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts, Medal with Purple Ribbon, and Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.
Mr. Nagai’s works are included in the permanent collections of more than 20 museums worldwide, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design, Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA), and Metropolitan Museum of Art.