INFLUENCES & INSPIRATION
In our last conversation we talked about Ametora, the text by W. David Marx. If you missed it our newsletters will soon be available as a blog on our website. Its clear the process and decision making was deeply respectful of the past, respectful of tradition and with that reverence trying to push forward and develop. This admiration for what has gone before and the desire to build upon it is a motivation we’ve carried into our work with tora.
Our creative decisions are deeply influenced by the timeless yet accented details of eastern design and creativity. The clean lines of clothing and interiors, photography and film that carves its own unique visual lane and graphic design where layout and typography
choices are full of character. This week we wanted to pick out a few examples of work that has inspired us in how we present our brand.
Daido Moriyama (b. 1938) uses his camera to capture and create grainy, dense worlds of visual intensity. His tireless documentation and interrogation of the world was pioneering and is still groundbreaking. From early works with Japanese magazines, his engagement with photorealism through to his explorations of the essence of photography and his own self Moriyama’s work is comprehensive and astounding.
“Forget everything you’ve learned on the subject of photography for the moment, and just shoot. Take photographs - of anything and everything, whatever catches your eye. Don’t pause to think.” - Daido Moriyama
Wong Kar-Wai (b. 1958) is a Film Director and Screenwriter from Hong Kong. With masterpieces including 'In The Mood For Love', '2046' and 'Chungking Express' under his belt his cinematography and storytelling has proved incredibly inspirational, aesthetically beautiful and unique. A kaleidoscope of bold and saturated colours contribute to his visual style along with swooning camerawork and off-centre framing. At tora that’s something we plan to take to heart as we move forward.
Eastern Poster Design, such as for Kar-Wai’s films, feed intricately into our influences. The graphic design found here communicates a unique perspective. The mixing of typography styles, including hand-written elements, added to the contrast, balance and structure within layouts particularly stand out to us. As designers ourselves, these influences have formed a guiding motivation for us as we take tora forward.
Next time we’ll talk about the values we carry close to our heart.
With love,
tora.
tora.