Born: 1944

Education: Tama Art University, Tokyo; UCLA

Currently resides: Los Angeles

Selected honors: Member, Alliance Graphique Internationale

Teaching: Tama Art University, Tokyo; UCLA

Takenobu Igarashi is one of Japan’s most outstanding, original, and prolific designers. His numerous publications, major sculptures, and graphic projects for clients worldwide have made him one of the most visible graphic designers on the international scene.

He is best known for his three-dimensional letterforms, posters, calendars, and sculptures. Today, he lives and works in Los Angeles, where he is concentrating on large-scale architectural and sculpture projects in Japan and the United States, using more natural materials, such as wood, stone, and ceramics, for his recent abstract sculptures.

Mr. Igarashi’s philosophy about his work is best summed up in these words: “My approach to design and sculpture has always wavered between my wish to do something useful for the society and my desire to create something beautiful with my own hands. In my opinion, there are three essential things in work: passion, challenge, and discovery. Without them, work gets boring; with them work is enjoyable. And artwork which is enjoyable also results in success.”