‘Stepping on the Shimanto River’ by Kyoko Nakamura, Kazuko Nomoto and Kaori Hashimoto, in the 1st Ex-formation theme, ‘River’. Footprint-sized cutouts were placed at points along the bed to create a new way of perceiving the river.
What would your neighborhood look like if you saw it with fresh eyes? How do you represent a river? And how accurately does the word ‘pair’ describe a modern relationship?
The best books change the way you see the world. Kenya Hara’s latest title, Ex-formation, invites you to go a step further, and un-know it.
‘Ladybirds’ by Eriko Akata, as featured in the book
For Hara, the inspiring designer and thinker known for his work as MUJI’s Art Director, the explosion of knowledge available to us today can be dangerous for creative expression. Instead of using knowledge as a springboard for our imaginations, we become trapped in a kind of information-exchange, swapping facts but not delving much deeper.
Hara’s book is named after his method for addressing this phenomenon, particularly the stagnation he identifies in contemporary communication design. “I named this method Ex-formation to act as a counterpart to Information,” writes Hara. “That is, I’d like to think of the form and function of information not in terms of making known, but in terms of making unknown.”
‘Overgrown: Plants are Spreading’ by Fuyuko Kogi, Shiho Sato and Ayumi Nishimoto
Attempting to “unknow” things, and try to look at them in a new light, is a way of re-igniting our sense of curiosity, using our imaginations, and sparking creativity. As Hara notes: “What moves people’s hearts, in every case, is the unknown. Things that people already know don’t excite them.”
Each year, 14 or 15 students come together at the prestigious Muashino Art University, joining with Hara in an attempt “to make things unknown.” Ex-formation presents their collective efforts, resulting in a book of incredibly beautiful, humorous, and thought-provoking design and writing.
Examples from ‘Tokyo Camouflage’ by Haruka Matsubara, in the 10th Ex-formation theme, ‘Tokyo’. Matsubara brings together pieces of the urban landscape, like cinderblock walls, characters written in alleyways and even taxi plates, to design camouflage clothing for different Tokyo neighborhoods.
“We’re familiar with Tokyo, and so just to that extent, we’ve stopped being able to see it … A small awakening has occurred every time I’ve returned from traveling abroad.” – Kenya Hara
‘Simulations: If the River Were a Road’ by Shinsaku Inaba, Sousuke Matsushita and Hirofumi Mori, in the 1st Ex-formation theme, ‘River’. Hara notes: “The river inlaid with an asphalt road conveys the river’s size and shape much more vividly than would ordinary photographs. We get an image of the undulation of the meandering river with a sense of realism, as if we were taking the wheel.” – Kenya Hara
Example from ‘Nice Body PET Bottles’ by Keisuke Nakano, in the 6th Ex-formation theme, ‘WOMAN’.
Examples from ‘Flora’ by Asuka Tada, in the 6th Ex-formation theme, ‘WOMAN’.
Example from ‘Halfsies’ by Kyoko Osaki, as featured in Ex-formation by Kenya Hara. All images courtesy of Lars Müller Publishers.
