Ayaka Shimizu is sensitive, meticulous and attentive in everything she does. She studied under the famous Japanese designer Katsuhiro Kinoshita when she was a student at Tama Art University's graphic design department. In an interview, Shimizu said, "During the course, I realized that a unique personality is not necessary, and that quality design can only be produced through continuous polishing." After graduating from university, she worked at Good Design Company, founded by renowned Japanese graphic designer Gaku Mizuno, and became independent in 2017, starting her own design studio.
The four directions of nature/health, traditional oriental culture, social issues and art and culture have gradually become the main axes of Shimizu's work. In the process of producing one project and work after another, she has been working hard and building up her strengths.
"Bi no Kowake" is one of Shimizu's many masterpieces. As the third project of the "Vietnamese-Chinese Toyama Souvenir Project", it is a brand of beauty products produced in the Toyama region using natural materials abundant in Toyama Prefecture. The packaging, "illustrated by illustrator agora, conveys the nature, rivers, and historical scenery of Toyama, as well as the transparency and softness of everyday life with skin care habits." The project also offers a series of Toyama experiential tours, which Shimizu incorporated directly into the communication of the design. "The image shows the character standing in the scenery of Toyama, and the meaning of 'I hope people will not only be beautiful on the outside, but also sharpen their inner beauty' is conveyed from her back. Touching beauty as if on a trip also connects the opportunity to welcome to Toyama." Shimizu said.
The "Holon" project is also worth mentioning among the themes of traditional oriental culture. Distilled spirits made from herbs and spices have been made in the East since ancient times. "The gradient on the packaging is a color extracted from nature and to recall the aroma of the ingredients, while affirming ambiguity to express the brand's axis." Shimizu also brought to life the concept of the five elements philosophy for the brand's seasonal collection. The image is centered on an illustration configuration of illustrator Chisato Nagano creating meditative figures, and a circle resembling the moon is used to convey the power given according to the daily changes in physical conditions. As Shimizu once said, "What I want to create is not only a new work, but something that will move those who see and use it. I want to create something that will be loved for a long time. Making things that are cherished is also essential from the point of view of sustainability." Of course, not only is beauty beautiful, but Shimizu also takes great care in how it is conveyed.
A poster designed for a solo concert by double bassist Kazushige Uchiyama is one example. A performer and an audience come face to face and perform for a hundred consecutive nights. "Until I heard Mr. Uchiyama's performance, I had always thought of the double bass as an instrument that supported the orchestra as a whole. But then I was surprised to learn that the double bass was originally a powerful instrument that could vibrate directly to the abdomen. So I used pen and ink to express the vibrant tone and the hundred days of playing as if it was changing like a living creature."
Shimizu says, "Design has the ability to make something that isn't very good look good. It is the responsibility of designers to create things that actually have enough potential to make people in distant lands or in the future feel inconvenienced or sad because of what the designers have created, and therefore, designers have a responsibility to design in society." This is the nature of the "Creators Meet TAKAOKA" project. Through collaboration with artisans of traditional craftsmanship in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, and urban creators, the project aims to widely promote the appeal of Takaoka and its traditional craftsmanship, and to create new value through product development, branding, and the creation of artworks. Shimizu masterminded the main visual and acted as art director for the project's event at Shibuya Hikarie, which was composed of black, white and red, expressing the artisanal spirit and spiritual climate of Toyama. Strong, honest straight lines and flexible curves are mixed to express the close collaboration between artisans and creators.
Article Source:艺术与设计
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