This project was done for Japonesque Inc. in San Francisco, a gallery of the Japanese aesthetic reflected in antiques to contemporary artwork and furnishings. Japonesque on the Pier, an annex, exhibits the large stoneworks of Izumi Masatoshi. The owner of the gallery wanted a printed piece that captured the startling and simple qualities of Izumi’s stones. Working together on the project, the owner and the designer were able to let go of all their preconceived ideas about the design of the piece. They were then able to see what was truly there: the quiet energy supported by these stones, the large scale, the old and the new, reflected in letterpress and offset printing. These things became the form of this light spirit. The piece was then sent as a promotion to artists, collectors, and corporations. It is also on display at the gallery.

“In one’s short life, it is a joy to face the Stone which brings back the distant past and gives hint of the future.” — Izumi Masatashi