Kirei: Posters from Japan 1978-1993

These examples of modern Japanese poster design, brought together in an Anglo-Japanese co-publication, show a vibrant modern tradition that has developed its own independent spirit. Here old and new, East and West, meet in creative fusion. The classical aesthetic of Japanese culture is evident in every instance. It is encapsulated in the word "kirei", which embraces simplicity, beauty, purity and ambience, and demands a high level of technical and formal skill combined with a particular subtlety of expression. At the same time, these posters inspire new ways of seeing. The boldness of their coded forms frees them from the banality of everyday advertising. The advertised products themselves need not appear at all. The designs evolve their own strange, fascinating messages, delightful conundrums of discovery and deconstruction. Created by a culture famed for its devotion to the fleeting instant, the Japanese poster crystallizes evocative, enduring images within a single glimpse.