Osaka City is amassing works in preparation for the opening of a world-class museum
dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design, which will open a new window on
the current art scene from a uniquely Osakan perspective. In 2012 the city was
entrusted with the Suntory Poster Collection, further enriching the graphic design
collection and making the museum’s overall design collection one of Japan’s greatest in
terms of both quantity and quality.
This year’s GRAPHIC WEST exhibition draws on this abundant collection, presenting
approximately 50 outstanding works from the developing period of modern design in the
1920s and 1930s to its maturation in the 1950s and 1960s.
The exhibition begins with Russian Constructivism, continues with the Bauhaus, and also
includes Swiss and Dutch designers who carried the development of graphic design
forward after the war, exerting a major influence internationally. Amid social turmoil and
political upheaval, the designers pursued dreams and ideals, seeking to build a new
society through design and to reflect the spirit of the modern era. Passion and reason
intertwine in this stunning overview of the avant-garde design that shaped the 20th
century.