The Center for Contemporary Graphic Art (CCGA) was established in Sukagawa City (Fukushima Prefecture), in a setting of great natural beauty, in April 1995 to serve as a repository of outstanding works of graphic design and graphic art and related materials, to ensure the secure passage of this cherished legacy down to future generations. To mark the 20th anniversary of CCGA’s founding, approximately 90 items have been selected from its vast collection – more than 100,000 works and materials in all – for a very special exhibition.

The CCGA collection incorporates two main bodies of works: the Tyler Graphics Archive Collection containing prints created by America’s most important contemporary artists working in collaboration with the Tyler Graphics print studio, and the DNP Archives of Graphic Design incorporating outstanding works of contemporary Japanese graphic design that enjoy high acclaim internationally.

Prints and graphic design are often considered separately – one as fine art and the other as an applied art; but historically, given their shared use of printing technology, they are in fact like siblings. In this special exhibition, works of both categories will be jointly on display. Their juxtaposition will allow visitors to compare how prints and graphic design differ artistically, and perhaps to recognize ways in which they are similar.

Also on exhibit will be original artwork, paste-ups and other materials relating to various posters. Through these now-rare materials we hope visitors will gain insight into the creative process by which graphic designers traditionally arrived at their final work.

In the past two decades a program of regular and special exhibitions has served to make CCGA’s collection available for viewing by the general public. Through its archiving activities – collecting and preserving outstanding works and related materials and making them available to educators and research scholars – CCGA has sought to contribute to the popularization and development of Japan’s graphic art culture. We wish to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to everyone who has generously cooperated in these efforts and endeavors throughout the past 20 years, and as we mark this major milestone in our history we look forward with renewed enthusiasm and determination to our next 20 years and beyond.