Masuteru Aoba - Graphic Design For Social Activism

Masuteru Aoba was a Japanese graphic designer, born in Tokyo in 1939.

He was known for his ability to create bold posters with striking clarity while retaining an energetic and playful attitude.

Masuteru Aoba graduated from the Kuwasawa Design Research Institute in 1962 and later established his own design agency.

During the late 70s and early 80s, along with contemporary artists such as Shigeo Fukuda and Takashi Akiyama, Aoba created a series of protest posters geared toward environmental and non-violent activism.

Aoba attained his reputation through his creation of posters that focused on social and environmental issues. In addition to his use of bright colours, Aoba often employed short slogans like, “Peace, be heard” and “War waste energy,” with simple, yet powerful imagery in order to create a strong visual message.

Through his works, Aoba aimed to provide visual experiences that advocate humanistic values found in a society and try to visually explore a way to make a better world.

In 1998 Aoba was commissioned to design the official poster of Nagano Olympic Winter Games. His designs received much acclaim and followed in the tradition of great Olympic poster designs set by the father of Japanese graphic design, Yusaku Kamekura, and his work for the 1972 Winter Games in Sapporo.

Masuteru Aoba passed away in 2011 aged 72, yet it his work remains memory of his dynamism.