Cat and Mouse
Date
Credits
- Kazumasa Nagai 38 Designer
Format
- Poster 2371
Publishers
Typefaces
Media
- paper 2062
Techniques
- silk-screen 53
- offset lithography 648
Dimensions
This is an image of a cat's face, stylized by vivid complementary colors. There is a grid of dots being used, which gives it a texturized or digital effect, with the text above the eye being 猫と鼠, meaning “neko to nezumi,” or “cat and mouse.”
This poster uses minimal design to turn a simple animal portrait into an exploration of perception. The fluorescent green background and red highlights form the face of a cat entirely through halftone dots, which merges organic imagery with industrial printing. Created during his time at the Nippon Design Center, this poster reflects the 1970s Japanese design shift toward abstraction and emotional simplicity. By using color and texture instead of literal imagery, Nagai pushed the boundaries of what poster design could communicate. His work was essential in connecting Japanese aesthetics with modernist experimentation!
