Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2010

Hayakawa Yoshio: "The Face" and "The Form"

Illustrator Yoshio Hayakawa may have been born in 1917, but his designs would be right at home in a contemporary context. Perhaps that’s because Hayakawa was active right up until his sudden death last year, influencing a generation of Japanese graphic designers with his unrestrained exuberance and vivid sense of color. With “Hayakawa Yoshio: ‘The Face’ and ‘The Form,’” MOMAT presents a timely retrospective on a half century of commercial and artistic undertakings that helped establish a familiar sense of play in Japanese graphic design.

The National Museum of Modern Art

Yoshio Hayakawa. “The Face” and “The Form.” Illustration. Until Feb 14, free (HS and under, 65 and over)/¥130 (univ)/¥420 (general). 3-1 Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-5777-8600 (Hello Dial). Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (Fri until 8pm), closed Mon. Nearest stn: Takebashi, exit 1B. www.momat.go.jp