Japanese Literary Awards

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Tadanori Yokoo

よこお ただのり

Yokoo Tadanori

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1936-06-27 （Nishiwaki, Hyōgo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Nishiwaki, Hyōgo, Japan → Kobe, Hyōgo, Japan → Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
Artist, Graphic Designer, Printmaker, Writer, Curator
Active Years
1956-
Affiliations
Japan Art Academy, Tama Art University (Guest Professor / Former Graduate School Professor), Kobe Shimbun (former employee)
Memberships
Japan Advertising Art Association (Member), Japan Art Academy (Member)
Influenced By
Pablo Picasso, Yukio Mishima
Influenced
Issey Miyake, Contemporary graphic designers (Japan)

Education

Hyogo Prefectural Nishiwaki High School
Country: Japan
Musashino Art School (entrance exam / considered)
Country: Japan
Moved to Tokyo to take the entrance exam but did not enroll.

Awards

Senbi Exhibition - Encouragement Prize
1958
Organization: Japan Advertising Art Association
Result: Winner
Tokyo ADC Award (Bronze)
1963
Organization: Tokyo Art Directors Club (ADC)
Result: Winner (Bronze)
Hyōgo Prefecture Cultural Award
1987
Organization: Hyōgo Prefecture
Result: Recipient
Mainichi Art Award
1995
Organization: Mainichi Newspapers
Result: Recipient
New York ADC Award (Gold)
1997
Organization: New York Art Directors Club (ADC)
Result: Winner (Gold)
ADC Hall of Fame (New York ADC)
2000
Organization: New York Art Directors Club (ADC)
Result: Inducted
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2001
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: Recipient
Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon
2004
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: Recipient
Japan Cultural Design Award
2006
Organization: Japan Cultural Design Award Committee
Result: Recipient
Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize
2008
Work: Burūrando (short story collection)
Organization: Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize Committee
Result: Recipient
Order of the Rising Sun, Small Rays
2011
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: Recipient
Asahi Prize
2011
Organization: The Asahi Shimbun Company
Result: Recipient
Prince Takamatsu Memorial World Culture Award (Painting)
2015
Category: 絵画部門
Organization: Prince Takamatsu Memorial World Culture Award Committee
Result: Recipient
Kodansha Essay Award
2016
Work: Leaving Words (Kotoba o Hanareru)
Organization: Kodansha
Result: Recipient
Person of Cultural Merit
2023
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: Recipient
Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon (decorative edition, wooden cup set)
2022
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: Recipient

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Koshimaki Osen

1966 Poster / Graphic Art

A poster produced for Karajuro's theatrical troupe (Situational Theatre). Characterized by psychedelic colors and symbolic imagery, considered representative of the 1960s.

PsychedeliaDeath and eroticismTheatrical expression

Expo Sun

1967 Graphic poster

One of a series of works related to the Japan World Exposition (Osaka Expo). Fuses popular symbolism with strong design sensibilities.

ModernityFestivitySymbols and color

Funeral Procession II

1969 Painting / Print

Part of a series of works themed on death and ritual. One of his representative works held in modern art collections.

DeathRitualSymbolism

Lotus (album cover illustration)

1974 Album cover art

A representative example of his album cover work for international artists such as Santana. Part of his practice linking music and visual imagery.

Fusion of music and visualsQuotations of ethnic motifs

Burūrando

2008 Short story collection

His first short story collection. A venture into literary territory that earned the Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize.

FantasyAttitudes toward life and deathSelf

Tama, Come Home

2020 Art book / Essay

An art book created as a requiem for his beloved cat Tama. Contains 91 paintings of Tama and diary-like texts.

Loss and remembranceAffection for animalsPersonal memory

Bibliography

  • To India
  • My Zazen Practicum
  • Burūrando
  • Tama, Come Home
  • Leaving Words
  • The Complete Y-Junctions of Tadanori Yokoo
  • Beyond Death
  • Waterfall Mania
  • Autobiography: 'The Story Called Me' 1960–1984
  • Art Is Love

Adaptations

  • Film: 'Shinjuku Thief Diary' (appearance, 1969)
  • TV drama: 'Terauchi Kantarō Family' (appearance, 1974)
  • Kakogawa Line wrapping train (train exterior design)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
PsychedelicElements of occultismSurrealist expressionPop-art techniquesCollage and quotation
Recurring Motifs
Y-junctionsWaterfallsEyesCats (Tama)Shooting stars / UFO imageryMotifs related to Yukio Mishima

Health

  • Severe arterial thrombosis in the leg
    1970（入院・休養宣言のきっかけ）
    Nearly faced amputation of the left leg; led to hospitalization and a declared hiatus of about 1–2 years, affecting creative activity.
  • Insomnia / pet-loss syndrome
    2014（愛猫タマの死）
    Experienced severe pet loss after the death of his cat Tama, resulting in insomnia and psychological impact.

Legacy

A leading figure in postwar Japanese pop and graphic art, Yokoo is internationally acclaimed for his cross-genre practice and bold symbolic use of color. His work has influenced design, painting, publishing, stage sets and album art; major collections and dedicated museums preserve and exhibit his works.

Museums

  • Okanoyama Museum 345-1 Kamihie, Nishiwaki, Hyōgo, Japan Opened in 1984
  • Yokoo Tadanori Museum of Contemporary Art 3-8-30 Haradadori, Nada-ku, Kobe, Japan Opened in 2012
  • Teshima Yokoo House 2359 Ieura, Teshima, Tonosho, Kagawa, Japan Opened in 2013

Academic Societies

  • Japan Art Academy
  • Tama Art University (Guest Professor)

Archives

  • The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (holds examples)
  • The National Museum of Art, Osaka (holds examples)
  • The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (holds examples)
  • Hyōgo Prefectural Hall (works exhibited and preserved)

In Popular Culture

  • Santana — 'Lotus' album cover design
  • Miles Davis — 'Agharta' album cover design
  • JR Kakogawa Line wrapping train (Yokoo design)

Quotes

  • I do not like to explain my own works. Therefore, what is worth seeing is a matter for the viewer, not the author.
    Source: Tadanori Yokoo (statement at the self-curated exhibition 'Jiga Jison') (2019)
  • There is nothing more pathetic than living in constant fear of the afterlife, but if one recognizes that the other world is the main reality, one's way of living will change.
    Source: Tadanori Yokoo, 'Beyond Death' (2008)

Trivia

  • Was adopted at age 2–3 and raised by his adoptive family.
  • Created more than 150 works featuring the Y-junction motif from his hometown.
  • Designed a wrapped train for JR Kakogawa Line in 2004.
  • Published the art book 'Tama, Come Home' (2020) with 91 paintings of his cat; it went into reprint two weeks after release.
  • Appeared in the film 'Shinjuku Thief Diary' (1969) and has been active across media including TV and commercials.