Dialogue - Yamaka Design Office Tomohiro Ono -

Were you interested in graphic design and paper as a material when you were a teenager or a student?

Ono : I've loved drawing since I was little, and I first became interested in graphic design because I was drawn to CD jacket designs. When I was in high school, I often listened to hardcore band music. I joined the art club in high school and attended an art school in Tokyo for four years, hoping to become a graphic designer who makes CD jackets. There, I learned the basics of design, such as drawing and phototypesetting. From my fourth year of university, I worked part-time in the graphic department of an apparel company for two years. Since I often work with various types of paper, I was able to touch paper and incorporate it into my designs, gaining knowledge about materials. As I worked with paper in various ways, I felt that paper had possibilities other than the printed materials I do in my design work. I would like to create works that express these things.

What were your thoughts and feelings when you moved back to Oita from Tokyo?

Ono : When I was busy in Tokyo, I started to feel that I couldn't make good things unless I had a solid foundation in life. Wanting to cherish my daily life and concentrate on design and creating my own work, I returned to Oita Prefecture at the age of 24 and became independent. I worked as a graphic designer in Oita City for about four years. I felt uncomfortable with the commercial graphic design work I was doing at the time, and wanted to be involved in designing for people who shared my values ​​and sensibilities, so I moved to Yamagata Town, where I live now.

How do you view and approach your work as a graphic designer and the works you create following your own sensibilities?

Ono : I create my graphic design work with the same sensibility as my artwork. Whether it's design or artwork, I have the same desire to make people happy when they pick it up. The underlying theme is the nature around me and the things that are born from living in Yamagata. I want to incorporate the scenery I see and the sunlight I feel while living in this town into my work.

You select the materials, print and process them all yourself. What do you pay particular attention to when creating your works?

Ono : Although the number of finished works is limited, I try to produce them as locally as possible with the cooperation of many people in the selection of paper, printing, and processing. The paints and paper materials used also have different properties, and depending on where they were grown and the years they have been used, no two pieces have the same appearance. I focus my eyes and ears on these differences as I approach the creation of my works. I try to keep the finished works in their natural state, and although I do make some adjustments, I try not to make them look artificial.

What kind of future do you envision for yourself?

Ono : I am also thinking about creating works that are closer to nature. I want to create things without imposing my ego, by entrusting myself to my natural self, and by borrowing the power of nature. I would like to continue my design work and creation at a certain rhythm, putting life first.