Nagauta Shamisen
1981
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1981
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Nagauta Shamisen is a 1981 by Kazumasa Nagai, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This poster shows a shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese instrument. The neck is long and thin. The body is small and square. Bold red and black ink stands out against the white background. It’s one of twelve posters made for a 1981 event about Japanese theater and music. Kazumasa Nagai designed it. The event honored traditional arts from Japan. Want to see more? Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.
In 1981, twelve Japanese graphic designers, curated by Masaru Katsumi, created a series of posters to mark a UCLA Asian Performing Arts Institute program featuring traditional Japanese performing arts. This poster by Nagai Kazumasa depicts the nagauta shamisen, a three-stringed lute central to kabuki theater’s lyrical musical accompaniment. The series commemorated lectures, masterclasses, and performances by the Classical Performing Arts Friendship Mission of Japan during their five-week tour of the United States. The event was sponsored by the UCLA Performing Arts Institute as part of its…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Kazumasa Nagai was a Japanese printmaker and graphic designer. He attended the Tokyo University of the Arts to study sculpture, and withdrew due to health problems.
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