Aihara Nico

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Aihara Nico ("AN") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

AN : I have always loved drawing since I was a little child. I drew a lot of characters from anime, manga, and video games. I also liked drawing pictures of plants and animals. I loved historical novel, so I enrolled in the literature department at university. I only started working in design after I got married and quit my previous job.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

AN : Drawing illustrations has been my hobby for many years, and I used to design New Year's cards and other things myself. Someone saw it and asked me to design a New Year's card, and little by little I started receiving requests for illustration and design work.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

AN : We do various types of illustration designs such as greeting cards, book covers, visual images, character designs, etc. I especially like handcrafted designs that give a sense of beauty and nostalgia.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

AN : To be honest, I'm still learning, so it's difficult for me to explain clearly, but I think it's very important to closely observe what makes a great design great. It is also important to try to put many ideas into concrete form.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

AN : A great design has a beauty and comfort that makes people want to take a closer look.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

AN : I would like to work to introduce Japanese culture to the world in whatever form it takes. I have loved reading since I was a child and graduated from the Faculty of Literature, so I would especially like to participate in illustration projects related to classical literature.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

AN : My dream is to design illustrations related to Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, the classic Japanese literature that I love the most.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

AN : As you might expect, I respect Alphonse Mucha. I also love other illustrators from the era, such as Arthur Rackham. I also have great respect for the ukiyo-e artist Yoshitoshi Tsukioka. I owe my illustration style to these great creators.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

AN : Our job is not only to provide necessary functions and characteristics, but also to use a variety of colors and shapes to appeal to people's sensibilities. At the same time, it is also a process that allows me to connect with the work of great designers of the past.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

AN : The most popular recent project was an illustration I drew for a temporary fence for construction at Kobe Sannomiya Station. It was a very large piece (2.5m x 15m) and I painted various things in my style. Many people were paying attention and some even took commemorative photos. It was difficult to draw so many illustrations, but I'm satisfied.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

AN : How to properly utilize AI is undoubtedly a major challenge. I welcome technology that supports human creation, but it must not infringe on anyone's rights.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

AN : The first thing to do when starting a design is to decide on the key elements and solidify the image. For this purpose, I often look at art books or search for images on the internet. After finding the ideas I want to incorporate, I start drawing up a rough design.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

AN : I use Photoshop to color the hand-drawn line drawings on paper. I think there are few people who draw illustrations in the same style. I've been using Photoshop for over 20 years, but I only use the basic functions. When I first started, I wasn't able to get the coloring exactly as I had imagined, but through trial and error, I gradually got better at it.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

AN : One of the characteristics of my style is that my illustrations are hand-drawn with intricate lines and colored. Another feature is the harmonization of traditional Japanese culture and European design elements.The clear outline, reminiscent of ukiyo-e, and the taste of an old Western picture book make my works quite unique .This style was inspired by my desire to draw women in kimonos like Alphonse Mucha.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

AN : There are so many people I'd like to meet, so I'd rather walk through the streets of Paris during the Art Nouveau era or Tokyo during the Meiji and Taisho eras.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

AN : My house is my favorite place. It's been a long-time dream of mine to work from home surrounded by my favorite designs, so I'm happy with my current job. We are still making improvements to make the space more comfortable.