Kiyoshi Awazu: ggg Books 11 — Ginza Graphic Gallery Official Monograph (World Graphic Design Series)

(ggg Books 11 粟津潔 / 監修：ギンザ・グラフィック・ギャラリー / DNP文化振興財団 / トランスアート)

The Luminous Avant-Garde Vision of Postwar Japanese Graphic Design — ggg Books Vol. 11 Dedicated to Pioneer Kiyoshi Awazu, Featuring His Groundbreaking Theatrical Posters, Indigenous Metaphors, Woodblock & Lithograph Aesthetics, Architectural Collaborations & Bilingual Japanese/English Commentary!

Product Overview:

• Featured Artist / Master Designer: Kiyoshi Awazu (粟津 潔, 1929–2009 — Visionary pioneer of postwar Japanese avant-garde graphic design, printmaking, scenography, and urban design)

• Book Series: ggg Books: World Graphic Design Series Vol. 11 (世界のグラフィックデザインシリーズ ggg Books 11)

• Published By: Ginza Graphic Gallery (ggg) / DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion / Trans Art

• Book Format: Deluxe Pocket-Sized Hardcover Monograph

• Dimensions: Approx. 13.5 cm × 19.0 cm (5.3" × 7.5" / Compact B6-variant hardbound format)

• Page Count: 64 Heavyweight Full-Color Coated Pages

• Bilingual Edition: Japanese & English Bilingual Text (日英完全併記) — Complete biographical essays, artist statements, and artwork captions provided in both English and Japanese.

• Core Subject & Visual Scope: A concentrated, essential visual archive showcasing the explosive graphic genius of Kiyoshi Awazu. Unlike the clean corporate functionalism of modernism, Awazu’s work tapped into folklore, vitalism, visceral symbolism, and traditional Japanese popular arts:

  • Historic Social & Political Posters: Groundbreaking early works including his seminal 1955 JAAC-winning poster "Give Our Sea Back" (海を返せ).

  • Theatrical & Cinematic Collaborations: Legendary film poster art and title sequence designs, including his renowned visual partnerships with director Hiroshi Teshigahara (The Face of Another, Woman in the Dunes).

  • Metabolism & Architectural Dialogue: Graphic manifestos, urban design studies, and collaborations with Kisho Kurokawa and the 1960s Metabolism movement.

  • Distinctive Folkloric & Erotic Motifs: Expressive line art, organic serpentine forms, seals, thumbs, maps, and ukiyo-e-inspired woodblock print sensibilities.

• Condition: Brand New 

Background & Design Significance:

A rebel against sterile modernism and a titan of Japanese visual culture! While the mainstream of postwar Japanese design embraced Western commercial rationalism, Kiyoshi Awazu looked deep into Japan's primal indigenous roots, social contradictions, and folklore to forge an unmistakable visual idiom.

His vibrant, psychedelic, and emotionally charged compositions shattered conventions across posters, printmaking, book design, animation, and architecture.

Published by Tokyo's prestigious Ginza Graphic Gallery (ggg) and the DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion, the coveted ggg Books series stands as an international benchmark for graphic design archives.

Vol. 11 distills Awazu’s monumental lifetime output into a beautifully crafted, pocket-sized hardcover volume.

Printed with extraordinary color fidelity on dense art paper, it features his most famous silk-screened posters, woodblock prints, and illustrative manifestos alongside full English translations.

For graphic designers, typographers, poster collectors, and lovers of mid-century Japanese avant-garde art, this out-of-print monograph is an indispensable centerpiece.

📋 Technical Specifications & Monograph Details:

✨ Key Features & Archival Highlights Inside:

• Official Ginza Graphic Gallery Publication: Curated under the direct authority of Japan’s premier graphic design institution.

• Fully Bilingual Text: Critical essays, chronology, and detailed plate descriptions printed in both Japanese and fluent English for international accessibility.

• Definitive Poster Masterworks: Features high-resolution color plates of his most celebrated silk-screen posters, including "Give Our Sea Back" and rare performing arts visuals.

• Premium Hardcover Binding: Durable cloth-backed or hardbound construction with exceptional Japanese print quality that reproduces deep inks and vivid hues.

• Globally Sought-After Series: An essential installment in the internationally collected ggg Books series, highly prized by design schools and libraries worldwide.