(b Tokyo, 8 Sept 1932). Japanese graphic designer. He graduated in architecture from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1955 and then worked as a freelance graphic designer. He specialized in posters, calendars, record covers, catalogues and stamps and later books, magazines, exhibitions and film and television graphics. His series of covers for the magazine Space Design (1966-70) made a resounding impact. He was regarded as one of Japan's most innovative designers; his work is influenced by cosmology, Hollywood, Buddhism and the Space Age and fuses images, quotations and typography of different sizes. He used shadow and perspective to achieve depth in two-dimensional layout and was noted for his use of rich black backgrounds. In his design for Zen Uchu-shi, Summa Cosmographica, text pages, as well as covers, are entirely in black, the text itself being white. Sugiura organized and designed many exhibitions that reflect his wide-ranging interests, for example Fluorescent Chrysanthemum, an exhibition of contemporary Japanese art and graphics (London, ICA, 1968), and the Mysterious World of Asian Masks (Tokyo, Seibu Museum, 1981). He also designed a number of photography books and several illustrated books of Buddhist mandalas. He was Guest Professor at the Hochschule f?r Gestaltung, Ulm, Germany (1964-5, 1966-7), and lectured both abroad and in Japan. answers.com 杉浦康平.
Tolman Collection, Tokyo 2020.10.14: Sugiura relies on traditional Japanese techniques to execute his works. He applies squares of gold leaf, in the same way old screens were made, onto handmade Japanese paper. His next step is to silkscreen his floral subjects onto the gold leaf. Next, blocking out the flowers, he uses a wash of pale shades of blue, purple, or green to cover the rest of the work, thereby toning down the glittering gold leaf and softening the effect. The result is visually relaxing, soothing even the most active type-A personality. The artist studied fine art restoration at the Kyoto National Museum for four years, an experience that has undoubtedly influenced his meticulously executed creations.