The Independent Life of the Letter (泰西浪漫文字劇場)

Designer’s Name + Biography:
Kohei Sugiura (1932–2023) was a Japanese graphic designer. He worked on posters, magazines, and book design. Sugiura often used geometric shapes, bright colors, and cosmic or spiritual images.

Cultural/Artistic Context:
This poster was made for the publication and exhibition “The Independent Life of the Letter”, based on a text by Jasia Reichardt. It visualizes the history and emotion of written letters through surreal forms, blending Western Roman lettering with Japanese sensibility. Sugiura’s design challenges the boundary between typography and illustration, showing letters as living, expressive beings.
In Japan during the late 1970s, designers like Sugiura began exploring typography not only as communication but as cultural and spiritual art. This work represents that shift, where design became a tool for thought and reflection.

Size:
Approx. 35.5 x 75.5 cm

Client:
Shashin Kenkyusha (写真研究社 / Shaken), publisher of design books and magazines

Associated Info:
This poster was published by Shaken and printed in limited numbers. Sugiura later continued this exploration in his design for Asian Cosmic System and other publications. It has appeared in retrospectives of Sugiura’s work in Japan and abroad, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

Image Credit:
Kohei Sugiura / Shashin Kenkyusha (Shaken)