Hiroshima Appeals and JAGDA’s Peace Posters Exhibitions: A Creative History of a New Graphic Design Genre

Talk and slide presentation by Toshi Aoyagi, Program Officer and Curator of Hiroshima Appeals: A Poster Exhibition of Global Messages at JFT.

The peace poster was a newly created genre in graphic design after World War II.  One of the most pioneering peace poster works was “Victory 1945” by Fukuda Shigeo of Japan, the winner of the 1975 “International Poster Competition in Commemoration of the 30^th Anniversary of the Victory against Fascism and Violence through Democracy and Liberty” in Poland.

Responding to and stimulated by young Fukuda’s sensational success, Japan’s graphic design giant Kamekura Yūsaku organized two unique design projects to enlighten and educate himself and all other members of Japan Graphic Designers Association, JAGDA in 1983. Kamekura Yūsaku designed “Butterflies Burning Falling” the first poster of the “Hiroshima Appeals” annual poster promotion project. JAGDA, led by Kamekura Yūsaku, also launched an annual national peace poster exhibition and competition, in which all JAGDA members contributed and participated. These paired projects have worked together to advance the development and creation of peace posters for years to come.

This talk examines the leadership and contribution of two great Japanese designers, Kamekura Yūsaku and Fukuda Shigeo, master and disciple, to the peace posters genre. Together they discovered and nurtured the potential of peace posters by collaborative and competitive dynamics.

Presented in celebration and admiration of the dedication, generosity, and foresight of the Japanese graphic design world—in particular, two of its great designers, Kamekura Yūsaku and Fukuda Shigeo.