Harada Osamu Exhibition: The discovery of "kawaii" Osamu Harada: Finding "KAWAII"
-OSAMU GOODS FOREVER-
Osamu Harada (1946-2016) is the creator of OSAMU GOODS, which gained explosive popularity among junior and senior high school girls from the late 1970s to the 1990s. His illustrations, influenced by American comics, TV anime, and pop art from the 1950s and 1960s - in particular, his characters, drawn with simple lines and refreshing colors - had a huge impact on Japan's subsequent "kawaii" culture.
This exhibition, his first nationwide tour since his death, will display works spanning a wide range of fields, including his work for "an・an" in the 1970s, which prompted him to start working as an illustrator, as well as advertising, publishing, and various goods. It will also display early materials from his childhood to his early twenties, and materials related to his essay collection "Boku no Bijutsucho," providing a comprehensive look at the work of Osamu Harada, beloved across the ages.
Outline
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Admission fee
Adults and university students: 1,100 yen; elementary, middle and high school students: 550 yen
*Free admission for elementary and junior high school students on Saturdays
*20% discount for groups of 15 or more -
Opening hours
10:00-17:00 (entrance accepted until 16:30)
Closed on Thursdays (open on February 11th) -
Organizer
Sano Art Museum, Mishima City, Mishima City Board of Education -
Sponsored by
Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education -
Grant
Mishima Shinkin Bank -
Sponsorship
Izuhakone Railway Co., Ltd. -
cooperation
Koji Honpo, Tom's Box, Palette Club -
Planning cooperation
Setagaya Literary Museum -
Planning and Production
Cosmo Merchandising -
Venue Design
Rui Igarashi -
Art Direction
Kazunari Hattori
profile
Osamu Harada (1946-2016)
Born in Tokyo. Graduated from Tama Art University's Department of Design. Debuted as an illustrator in 1970 with the then-launched magazine "an・an". In 1976, began producing "OSAMU GOODS", original character goods based on "Mother Goose", which became hugely popular among junior and senior high school girls. In 1984, provided illustrations for Mister Donut's premiums (prizes), which became a series and took the world by storm. In 1997, opened "Palette Club School" to train illustrators in Tsukiji, where he was born and raised. His main works include "My Art Book" and others.
Simultaneous Exhibition
The Basics of Swords: Form
[Exhibited works]
Important Art Object: Sword with signature Toshitsune, Heian Period, Sano Museum of Art
・Tachi sword, inscribed Kunimune, Kamakura period, owned by Sano Museum of Art
・Sword, inscribed Bishu Nagafune Norimitsu, August 11, 1112, Muromachi period, owned by Sano Museum of Art
・Sword, inscription (One-leaf Aoimon) by Fujiwara Masakiyo, resident of Satsuma, November 13th year of Kyoho, Edo period, private collection