We were once again responsible for the visual design and art direction for the 2024 edition of Tokyo Festival, a performing arts celebration.

This year’s festival was held under unique circumstances, requiring a renewed design approach. With the absence of an overall supervising director and a shortened event period, the project aimed to visually convey two key messages: “A Festival of Performing Arts” and “A New Phase for the Tokyo Festival.”

To emphasize the festival’s identity as a celebration of performing arts, the central motif adopted was the human body—representing the essence of physical expression in theater, performance art, and traditional arts. The design features an abstract red silhouette composed of multilingual typography, visually expressing the festival’s diversity and international spirit. The integration of various languages within the figure symbolizes the global range of performers and the richness of the festival’s artistic expressions, reinforcing the idea that physical performance is a universal language of communication.

The silhouette itself, constructed using only five simple lines, intentionally embraces a primal and essential form. This design choice captures the raw energy and inherent power of the human body, emphasizing the fundamental strength of physical expression in performing arts. The simplicity of the figure reinforces the message that the body itself can convey profound artistic meaning, making the design both direct and impactful.

The concept of “A New Phase for the Tokyo Festival” is visually represented by a departure from previous design conventions. A minimalist and refined visual language was introduced, characterized by bold use of negative space and a limited color palette. By stripping away excess visual elements, the design effectively communicates the unique circumstances of this year’s festival while projecting optimism for its future. The use of red as the primary color, combined with generous whitespace, creates a sense of quiet intensity and a strong visual presence.

The design was carefully adapted for a wide range of mediums, including posters, T-shirts, and outdoor advertisements, ensuring consistency across all formats. The structure of the silhouettes and the color scheme were meticulously maintained throughout the different applications.

As a result, the visual design for Tokyo Festival 2024 successfully symbolizes a year of transformation, conveying both the diversity of performing arts and the powerful energy of human physical expression, while inspiring anticipation for the festival’s continued evolution.