Defined by the simplicity of Zen-ish visuals, Japanese design aesthetics are rooted in tranquility, minimality, and negative space. Born in 1929 in Tokyo, self-taught designer Kiyoshi Awazu revolutionized these standards with his psychedelic motifs and graphics, creating chaotic yet harmonious compositions that transformed post-World War II Japanese graphic design.

Growing up against a background of firebombed Tokyo and the elusive reality of post-war cinema, Awazu learned how to see and observe his world, influencing his stylistic techniques that merged traditional Japanese painting techniques with modern symbolism. One of his childhood memories from age 15 was seeing the vast burnt fields from war as he walked from Meguro to Shibuya—his artwork would demonstrate that even a damaged world scorched by the destruction of war can lead to a world of harmony.

From the mid-1950s through the 1960s, Tokyo transformed from the capital of a war-torn nation into an international center for arts, culture, and commerce, nurturing the exploration of avant-garde experiments as artists drew on the energy of Tokyo’s rapidly evolving and expanding economy. With illustrative figures and motifs, and expressive typography, Awazu represented the chaotic reality of rapid economic growth in post-war Japan.