by Osamu Harada, an illustrator known as the creator of “OSAMU GOODS,” was created in 1976 and boasted explosive popularity in the 90s. The exhibition “Osamu Harada: Discovering” Cute, “which started in 2019 at the Setagaya Literary Museum in Tokyo, is currently being held at the Kobe Fashion Museum in Hyogo.
Harada was born in Tokyo in 1946. After graduating from the design department of Tama Art University, he made his debut as an illustrator in 1970 with the newly launched “an an” (Magazine House). In 1976, when he started producing the original character goods “OSAMU GOODS” based on “Mother Goose,” it became a big hit among high school girls. In 1984, he provided illustrations for Mister Donut prizes. This was made into a series and caused a big boom.
Harada loved American comics, TV anime, and pop art from the 1950s and 1960s. Among them, the characters are drawn with simple lines, and colorful colors significantly influenced Japan’s subsequent “cute” culture. One of the first traveling exhibitions nationwide since Harada died in 2016 mainly exhibits works in various fields such as advertising, publishing, and miscellaneous goods. Master-of Maruyama school Tamazusa Kawabata painter in grandson Minoru Kawabata from childhood studying under, after graduating from Tama Art University, in his early twenties around the initial materials were spent in New York to live with Kawabata, its collection of essays ” Introducing related materials of “My Art Book” (2006). In addition, you can see the whole picture of various works such as the magazine “Bikkuri House” (Parco Publishing) serialized under the name of “Mr. Akashicho,” bookbinding, advertisements, and various goods.
In addition, activities at the “Palette Club” formed with illustrators Mizumaru Anzai, Pater Sato, and art director Masahiro Shintani, and an extension of that, the illustrator training school “Palette Club School” opened in Tsukiji in 1997. He was introducing activities such as. Harada also exhibited photos of Charles & Ray Eames Atelier, and it’s fun to get a glimpse of his American mid-century design enthusiast. Rui Igarashi was in charge of the venue design, and Kazunari Hattori was in the art direction. Many “OSAMU GOODS” are also sold in the hall only during the exhibition period. Please check this out as well.
