TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Eslite Xinyi Store in Taipei is holding an exhibition this month featuring Tokolo Asao, the designer behind the emblems of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
A Tokyo-based graphic designer and architect, Tokolo drew international attention when his artwork, "Harmonised Chequered Emblem," was selected as the symbol of the Olympic event in Japan. The graphic design, which demonstrates the artist’s excellence in “playing with” geometric patterns, embodies traditional Japanese aesthetics and conveys the message of “diversity” and “harmony,” wrote CNA.
The exhibition, titled "ASAO TOKOLO [CONNECT]," delves into Tokolo’s faith that a positive attitude will bring about “connections” to a future of possibilities when the feeling of despair reigns, according to the General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC), which curates the show along with Taiwan Pitch and the Eslite Foundation for Culture and the Arts.
Tokolo has made his name through a variety of crossover collaborations, including the signature BAO BAO bags by Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, and the pattern design appearing on the Dai Nagoya Building.
As part of the exhibition, Tokolo invites Taiwanese visitors to join him in folding the “orizuru,” or paper crane. The artist hopes the paper birds, a popular form of Japanese origami and representing good luck, will bring peace to Taiwan and the world.
ASAO TOKOLO [CONNECT] will take place 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. between July 16 and Aug. 14 at Eslite Xinyi Store. Those sharing GACC’s Facebook post about the exhibition can request paper used for making the orizuru at GACC, with the cranes accepted between July 4 and Aug. 10.
See the YouTube instructions below to learn how to fold a Tokolo orizuru:
