2008 | ARTLESS.COM.JP WEBSITE | PERSONAL WORK

Emerging Talent No. 16: Shun Kawakami
“I’m Japanese, so I have a Japanese sense of beauty,” says Tokyo-based art director/designer Shun Kawakami. “I know Japan and Tokyo culture now. I want to make artwork with a Japanese sense and culture.” Kawakami founded his firm, artless, in 2000 to do just that. He is active in many forms of visual communication, creating art and design, branding, print, web, video and installations. Kawakami’s clients include fashion designers Issey Miyake and Giuliano Fujiwara, high-end designer boutique L’Eclaireur, Nike, Levi’s, FTC Skateboarding, crystal manufacturer Waterford Wedgwood, Volkswagen and Ford … as well as musicians and artists.

“I think design is a visual language,” says Kawakami. “I do visual communication that is between ‘art’ and ‘design.’ I’m not only designing for someone else, I design for myself. My artwork is myself, my personality.” He strives to pare down his work to the most minimal elements possible, using the power of subtraction to eliminate all that is unnecessary. What remains illuminates the essence of the core concept beautifully. This spare aesthetic is quintessentially Japanese, following in the traditions of ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging that draws attention to the shape, line and form of plants. Using classic motifs like bonsai, calligraphy and cherry and plum blossoms, his work reinforces Kawakami’s Japanese sensibility, in addition to his own unique and modern point of view.

Earlier in his career, Kawakami employed more Western styles and iconography. But after working in New York briefly, he returned to his cultural and artistic heritage. He realized he was moved by his roots and began to incorporate uniquely Japanese forms of creative expression into his work. “I think it’s just coming from inside of myself to the outside,” he explains.

The elegant simplicity of Kawakami’s work has global appeal. “Shun’s work is flawless, his taste impeccable—the mark of a timeless designer,” says Noémie Bonnet, Art Directors Club Young Guns program manager. “Fusing clean lines with ethereal imagery, Shun’s aesthetic pairs tremendous energy with remarkable creative control. The resulting work exudes uncommon maturity for a designer his age.”

In addition to pursuing commercial projects, Kawakami also does personal work that often takes the form of museum/gallery exhibitions. He recently curated a cross-disciplinary show with Singapore designer SILNT (Felix Ng) that traveled to Berlin, Shanghai and Tokyo. It featured the work of artists and musicians from Japan and Singapore expressing their national cultures via the theme Art With Sound. Part of Dual City Sessions, a highly regarded series on art and design from Asia, the show allowed visitors to view posters while listening to music specifically composed for the piece. No doubt it won’t be the last of Kawakami’s experiments in culture.
www.shunkawakami.jp | www.dualcitysessions.com