Graphic Design of Shin Matsunaga in Slovenia, 1994

Designer’s Name + Biography:
Shin Matsunaga is one of Japan’s most influential postwar graphic designers. Born in Tokyo, he graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts and began his career at the design office of Shigeo Fukuda before founding his own studio, Matsunaga Design Office, in 1974. His work ranges from corporate identity and poster design to book design and package design.
Matsunaga is known for his minimalist aesthetic and philosophical approach, often expressing Japanese concepts of ma (space) and yohaku (emptiness). He has received major design awards such as the Tokyo ADC Award and the Mainichi Design Award, and his works are held in collections including the MoMA and the DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion.

Medium/Format:
Offset lithograph poster

Client:
BIO 14 – 14th Biennial of Industrial Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia
(Special Exhibition: Graphic Design of Shin Matsunaga)
Printed with the assistance of Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd.

Size:
Approx. 102 × 72 cm (B1 format)

Cultural/Artistic Context:
This poster was designed for Shin Matsunaga’s solo exhibition in Slovenia as part of the 14th Biennial of Industrial Design (BIO 14). It represents a synthesis of Eastern calligraphic spirit and Western typographic discipline. The large, black organic figure dominates the poster, its curving lines suggesting both a question mark and a human form, symbolizing curiosity and the evolution of design.
By overlaying hand-drawn shapes with layers of English and Slovenian typography, Matsunaga visualized communication across cultures. The design reflects Japan’s growing global presence in graphic design during the 1990s—when Japanese designers were invited to share their aesthetic and conceptual sensibilities worldwide.
This poster stands as an example of Matsunaga’s pursuit of “universal visual language,” where form transcends words and cultural boundaries.

Associated Info:
This work was exhibited internationally and later featured in retrospectives of Matsunaga’s career at the DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion and the National Art Center, Tokyo. It is also archived in the DNP Design Collection as a landmark of cross-cultural design exchange.

Image Credit:
DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion / Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd.