Must-visit design exhibition for summer break art lovers: Peanuts x Nakamura Tomoo’s curated solo show

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family (collective reporting)
 
Japan’s top contemporary graphic designer—Nakamura Tomoo—returned to Taiwan for his first overseas solo exhibition, personally inaugurating 《Nakamura Tomoo’s Curated Exhibition》 at Warehouse No. 2 in Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. Renowned Taiwanese designer Fang Xuzhong also made a special appearance, presenting exhibition gifts he curated himself, engaging in cultural exchange through uniquely Taiwanese designs and musical works.

Over the past 20 years, Nakamura Tomoo has created works spanning advertising, children’s books, publications, video games, and exhibitions. With minimalist imagery and warm colors, he reinterprets many ordinary aspects of life through his unique perspective. He has won two of Japan’s most prestigious awards: the Kamekura Yusaku Award and the Mainichi Design Award, making him one of Japan’s most representative contemporary graphic designers.

This exhibition set numerous new records in Nakamura Tomoo’s over 20-year design career. In addition to featuring the “largest scale” and “most complete” display of his works, it also pushed the boundaries with “highest-spec” and “largest-format” printed pieces, as well as the “widest range” of merchandise. It also marked several “firsts,” including the “first physical realization” of the classic picture book 《Square Zoo》 and the “first unveiling” of two brand-new works. Prior to the exhibition, 《Square Zoo》 received international acclaim for its minimalist and avant-garde visual style and concept, being selected by the German Book Art Foundation Stiftung Buchkunst as one of the “Most Beautiful Books in the World 2019.”

This exhibition set numerous new records in Nakamura Tomoo’s over 20-year design career. In addition to featuring the “largest scale” and “most complete” display of his works, it also pushed the boundaries with “highest-spec” and “largest-format” printed pieces, as well as the “widest range” of merchandise. It also marked several “firsts,” including the “first physical realization” of the classic picture book 《Square Zoo》 and the “first unveiling” of two brand-new works. Prior to the exhibition, 《Square Zoo》 received international acclaim for its minimalist and avant-garde visual style and concept, being selected by the German Book Art Foundation Stiftung Buchkunst as one of the “Most Beautiful Books in the World 2019.”

Interestingly, in response to Taiwan’s new plastic reduction policies, Nakamura Tomoo tested his eco-friendly glass straw design by “trying bubble tea for the first time,” experiencing the most local flavors of Taiwan.

《Nakamura Tomoo’s Curated Exhibition》 will run for nearly two months from July 5 to September 1. Maywa Denki, Nakamura Tomoo’s “partner and close friend” of 20 years, will come to Taiwan in August to hold a small performance and talk within the exhibition area. They are also one of the participating creators in the 《Little Flower Project Exhibition》. With this double connection, Fang Xuzhong has also promised to host exclusive guided tours during the exhibition period, using his own design perspective to lead Taiwanese audiences to a deeper appreciation of the highlights in 《Nakamura Tomoo’s Curated Exhibition》.