Hiroshima Appeals1983-2025
Hiroshima Appeals is a poster series that transcend the boundaries of language to widely convey the prayers and wishes of Hiroshima, the first city to experience the devastation of an atomic bombing in the history of mankind. Organized by JAGDA (Japan Graphic Design Association Inc. (JAGDA) Hiroshima, Hiroshima International Cultural Foundation, and Hiroshima Peace Creation Fund, one nominated designer has created and presented a poster for Hiroshima Appeals every year since its inception in 1983. In the era leading up to the first Hiroshima Appeals, there was a emerging movement among designers that sought to explore the role of posters beyond commercial purposes. Many posters were created to question the state of society, such as the Anpo protests in the 1960s and the issue of pollution as the price of affluence and the confrontation with oil shocks in the 1970s. Born against the backdrop of a booming economy, Hiroshima Appeals was conceived based on requests from JAGDA Hiroshima members and the Hiroshima International Cultural Foundation as a project through which designers appeal to the world for peace through "Hiroshima" from a neutral standpoint. The first Hiroshima Appeals poster was created in 1983 by Yusaku Kamekura, who was the sitting JAGDA president. Those who participated in the project from Hiroshima asked him to convey the horror of the atomic bombing and their protests through beautiful depictions instead of tragic scenes. In response, Kamekura chose the image of freely-dancing butterflies burning and falling. The poster, with the words "HIROSHIMA APPEALS" set above an elaborate and fantastic illustration by Akira Yokoyama, conveys the folly of war by dramatically depicting the instant in which the beautiful scene with butterflies is completely changed.
This exhibition also features posters on the themes of opposition to conflict and wishes for peace from our poster collection.