Subtle - Takeo Paper Exhibition

Yesterday, I visited Japan House in Kensington to see the Takeo paper exhibition which opened last month. The show, Subtle, has been touring the globe since 2014 and is one in a series of exhibitions commissioned by the Japanese based paper company, Takeo. The show is designed and art directed by Kenya Hara.

The exhibition presents works designed and crafted by creators living and working in Japan from diverse disciplines across art, animation, architecture, fashion, graphic design and literature. These unique creations explore a fascination with paper, highlighting the individual choices of material and the diversity of textures, colours, techniques and applications specific to their creative practice.

The exhibition originates from the 47th Takeo Paper Show, Japan’s only paper industry show, which has been held since 1965. It is known for working with top creators to take up the challenge of bringing out new potential from paper. Many of the innovative creations on display serve to highlight this delicate craft in a modern and contemporary light.

Curated and directed by HARA Kenya, Chief Creative Director for the global Japan House project, the SUBTLE exhibition explores the influence of Japanese minimalism, inviting visitors to observe each innovative artwork up close and in minute detail.

There is a wonderful book available, which you can see here:
https://www.ndc.co.jp/hara/en/books/2014/09/subtle.html

The show is free admission. It is only open until 24th December, so you'll have to be quick.

https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/whats-on/takeo-paper-show-subtle/

Posted by Justin Hobson 07.12.2018

Racinne

Racinne is a skincare and beauty product formulated in Korea. With a science-driven approach, these new skincare products have taken seven years to develop and incorporate ground-breaking developments in biotechnology with the regenerative powers of plants.

This is a series of three press brochures, one for each product area, prepared for the UK launch.

The three brochures are 240x170mm, portrait. They are all "self covers" with an 8pp cover and an 8pp text (16pp in total) printed on Omnia 120gsm. The pale shades work really well on the Omnia with it's matt flat nature - but the small details and metallic highlights in the CMYK images also work superbly on this paper.

There are a couple of really lovely features, the RE logo is hot foil blocked in metallic gold foil on the outer covers and the wire stitches are in brass (see pic below) ...but they look like gold!

Design is by BOB Design. Creative directors are Mireille Burkhardt and Kieran O'Connor. Designers on the project are Clara Goodger and Aaron Merrigan.

The beautiful printing was handled by Chris Pollard at Bath based Opal Print and they also produced some lovely carrier bags for the launch made out of a Takeo product called Tassel, Grey 244gsm ( ...which is stocked by that other, Hull based, paper merchant!)
Thanks to Chris Pollard for supplying me with the photographs.

www.racinne.co.uk
www.bobdesign.co.uk
www.opalprint.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 15.07.2013

Takeo

It was with interest that I read last week in Printweek about the new range of Japanese papers from Takeo, which is being stocked by the other, Hull based paper merchant (...you know who!)

http://www.printweek.com/bulletin/printweekdailybulletin/article/1140982/gfsmith-launches-takeo-range-uk/

Takeo are the market leading, creative paper merchant (they aren't a manufacturer) based in Japan and throughout Asia. It was in the summer of 2008 when Mr. Sakuma from Takeo first visited us in Tonbridge and I was happy to share whatever market information with him that I could offer. At that time (before the financial crisis) their plans were to establish their own distribution outlets in London, Paris and Milan. Although followed with a further visit in 2009, it was obvious that with the global situation and the extraordinarily high Yen exchange rate that their European plans were shelved.

They have a lovely range of papers and it's good to see that some of them, including the highly unusual Pachica, will now be available in the UK. Presumably if all goes well, they'll be able to establish their own warehouses in Europe and offer their full range - which believe it or not is a massive 9,400 items!

www.takeo.jp
http://www.takeo.co.jp/site/english/products/finepapers/index.html

Posted by Justin Hobson 16.07.2012

P.S. After the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, I wrote to Takeo offering our condolencies and was pleased to receive a personally written letter from President and CEO,Mr Shigeru Takeo, thanking me and advising me that there had been no life threatening injuries sustained.

We helped sponsor a poster to raise funds for the relief effort:
 http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/japanese-earthquake-charity-poster-sold.html