This poster is one of the tetrabiblos produced in 1984 for
preservation of nature: 1- dinosaur, 2- gas mask, 3- whales, 4- skeleton-bird.
At the time of drawing, acid rain was in the popular topic. I imagined how
the birds fly in such rainfall and then a very humorous figure came to my
mind: a skeleton bird flying in the sky. This work won the gold prize in
the International Poster Biennial, Warsaw 1986 and became my magnum opus.
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This poster is a work, which represented the possibility of a line. The centerline is the horizon: this is the skyline and also the sea line. I symbolized nature: the entity with a single line. The Chinese characters are situated to the four corners: Ten (heavens), Chi (earth), Tori (birds) and Umi (sea) that are indications for multiple meanings of the image. Depending on the angle this artwork will change the meanings. Therefore I am calling this work Kaiten (rotation) poster. |
This poster is one of "the earth" tetrabiblos. The image depicts the sickening earth and the back ground, yellow color connotes the sense of crisis on the earth. The image suggests unsolved problems on the earth, for example, over six billion people living there and the number is still increasing ( the shortage of foods and water supply) etc. |
This poster is a work, which submitted to the JAGDA peace poster exhibition in 1988. This exhibition's main theme was "peace" and many Japanese designers' works were displayed. This Akiyama's work depicts a man's face, which is constructed with the night sky and the locus of flying birds and weaves a message of peace into the image. This image connotes peace will make men smile. |
While Gulf war was continued I created this work. This poster describes the process, which Saddam Hussein becomes a clown. Then, in the opposite order, the clown will become George Bush. This image suggests that these two men come from the same roots: a clown. Moreover, in the image the word " V " of victory ironically emerges. |
When wars were occurred, human beings and animals, all of us equally would suffer the damage from the incident. The Gulf war created catastrophe for the birds, which was caused by heavy oil spill. In order to visualise the situation this work portrayed a bird: the half of head and the body were changed to the breach bones. This image implies strong messages against wars in general. I created this poster in order to show my protest. |
An ecology poster exhibition was hold by Poland Japan friendship association in Warsaw 1992. This work was one of three notified posters. Polish and Japanese national flags are constructed with the two colors: red and white. This poster is merged with both Polish and Japanese flags and created as the symbol of two countries' friendship. |
This poster is one of ten art works which produced for
the Takashi Akiyama's Exhibition in Tokyo 1992. The purpose is to provide
correct acknowledgement of Aids for young people. This work widely contributes
the positive understanding of Aids.
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This poster was produced for the exhibition to commemorate
the 200th anniversary of Sharaku's birth. This was in motif of "Daido-yama
dohyo-iri (display of sumo wrestlers in the ring)" drawn by a Japanese portrait
painter and wood brick printer (Ukiyoe-designer) Toshusai Sharaku, who is
favorably compared with Velazquez and Rembrandt. As far as my works are
concerned, I must say that I have been strongly influenced by the artistic
quality of Ukiyoe in Edo period and originality of Japanese artists-that
is, simple but amazing lines, colorful and bold fields, and the sophisticated
printing technology. |
On January 17th 1995 at 5:46 am (local time), at the north edge of Awaji Island as the focus of largest earthquake M7.2 struck the region of Kobe and Osaka in south-central Japan: The Great Hanshin Earthquake. Many houses, buildings and constructions were either damaged or destroyed, and the numbers of deaths and unknowns reached 5,422. In Tokyo people were mentally distressed and panicked from the images of earthquake, which were distributed by media. This poster illustrates that (natural) disasters may bring media confusion to our lives. |
In the morning of March 20th 1995, Tokyo undergrounds were simultaneously attacked with sarin gas, one of the most deadly nerve agents ever developed. This indiscriminate terrorists' attack in Tokyo took 12 lives (passengers and station employees) and injured 5,311 people. This cruel incident shook whole country and a question arose whether Japan was really safe country to live in. This work is a satire on the coming era when people need to wear gas masks on trains. |
This poster was one of ten poster series, which were produced
for the ecological event in Tokyo 1996. In this image birds are wearing
gas masks and flying. It may give a warning of air pollution on the earth. |
This poster of "The World Natural Heritage" was submitted in 1997 to the exhibition about "The World Heritage" hosted by Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc. "The World Heritage" is the "Preservation of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Treaty" adopted in 1972 by the 17th UNESCO Conference. I got the idea of this poster by visualizing the image that the World Heritage Treaty is supported by nature. I appealed the importance of nature by this illustration. |
This poster was produced for "Fax Art Project", the exhibition of collaborative studies in Tama Art University. The "Fax Art Project" is a joint project between two countries; the Akiyama class, Department of Graphic Design, Tama Art University and the Aartomaa and Piippo class, University of Art and Design Helsinki. This project is also unique. Students in both countries drew illustrations simultaneously and interchanged each works by Fax. They found a new realm of illustrations exceeding the value of languages. |
This poster was produced to announce the International Nature Film Festival held in Cogne in Northern Italy where Monte Bianco rises beautifully. The illustration is in motif of an international protected animal, the ibex (stambecco). I imaged its habitus living in the cliffs of the Alps and described as if the ibex projects the nature film on a screen. |
In 1995, three female supermarket employees were shot and dead at the office in Hachioji-city Tokyo. This poster was made by the request of the Hachioji police station. I wish the case to be solved soon and the abolition of gun therefore I depict this image of breaking a gun to pieces. This poster put on many police boxes and stations and draw many people' attentions. |
This poster is produced on the request of a volunteer group of the Campaign for Landmine Free World in Japan. This poster plays an important role in their activity as a visual symbol of the philosophy of the volunteer activist, strengthens their unity, and gives them courage and hope. I designed the poster to make everyone understand the danger of landmines and to remain in their heart. |
This poster is produced for the event "Promises with Our River Part I", which was held at Tokyo under the theme of the Shinano river in Niigata. This poster is in motif of the pictographic letter "川" (river) and the god of the freshwater fish "Yamame". By this layout, the letter "川" looks like piles in the river and at the same time it can express flow of a river. The fish "Yamame" is surrounded with luster of the god. |
India is the country where Mahatma Gandhi, a great politician
and philosopher who claims nonviolent resistance, was born. This country
carried out a nuclear testing which must be stopped and limited. This
poster was produced to object to nuclear tests by India. I described the
situation that Gandhi, the Sophia of India, is angry at the nuclear tests
and sweating on his face. The face trembled all over and turned red with
anger. The other parts were colored with yellow-his feeling and blue-the
sky. Consequently this work as a whole describes a signal.
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Tama Art University is famous for its advanced education
in illustration, and produces the largest number of brilliant illustrators
in Japan. I am a founding member of one of the collaborative studies in
TAU and launched the illustration studies project under the slogan of
"Establishment of Illustration Studies". This poster is one of the diptych
made for announcement of the project as the visual symbol of the studies.
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This poster was produced for the "San Francisco Earth
Day 2000" on the request of the Organizing Committee of San Francisco
Earth Day. Earth Day is one of the most important events to elevate international
awareness on ecology and to appeal for preservation of nature. It contained
various cultural events like musical concerts and symposiums, which many
civilian groups joined. On the poster I arranged personified Earth with
the laurel, expressing the sunrise from San Francisco Bay.
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This is the poster drawn in 2000 about Recycling "To save
is away of life". Thinking about the ecological problem, we have to refer
to "recycling". I would like to declare the importance in a loud voice,
though I have to be careful not being selfish or self-satisfaction.
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This poster was produced for the exhibition "Wind of Designs"
in October 2001, held at the University Art Museum of Tokyo National University
of Fine Arts and Music. I expressed my own theme "Illustration Studies"
on the poster as a visualized message. I had been wondering for a long
time what the origin of Japanese Illustration is, and I finally came across
a fresco in the cave Fugoppe, Yoichi city, Hokkaido. The fresco has an
outline of a man with wings and I designed this poster in motif of this
imaginative fresco.
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This poster work is produced for the exhibition "Homage・Jun
Tabohashi", the chairman of the Department of Graphic Design, Tama Art
University(TAU). This exhibition was held from 10 September to 7 October,
2002, at the gallery of Design Wing, TAU. I compared his dynamism of creation
with carp swimming up a waterfall' and expressed it by arranging engraving
designs of the Edo Period with Akiyama style.
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