Takenobu Igarashi Exhibition at Tama Art University from November 14; About 70 Works from the PARCO Logo to Sculpture

“Takenobu Igarashi: Process and Development,” an exhibition tracing the work of designer and sculptor Takenobu Igarashi (1944–2025), will be held from Saturday, November 14 to Monday, December 14, 2026 at the Art Theque 101–105 Gallery on Tama Art University’s Hachioji Campus (Hachioji, Tokyo). About 70 works by the university’s former president, who died in February 2025, including the PARCO logo, the university’s symbol mark and sculptures, are shown along with numerous related materials such as sketches. Admission is free.

Who was Takenobu Igarashi? From design to sculpture

Igarashi graduated from the Department of Design in the Faculty of Art and Design at Tama Art University and worked as a graphic designer and product designer. Later, at the age of 50, he became a sculptor. At his alma mater, he served as a professor from 1989 to 1993 and as president from 2011 to 2015.

His work includes an alphabet designed for Shibuya PARCO PART3, commonly known as the “Igarashi logo.” The outdoor sculpture “Dragon Spine” (2000) on the Hachioji Campus and the university’s symbol mark are also his work.

Why now? Honoring the former president and reexamining his work through “process” and “development”

The exhibition is held in memory of Igarashi, who died in February 2025. It is organized by Tama Art University and planned by Tama Art University Museum. Tetsuya Oshima, director of the museum, supervises the exhibition, and Ichiro Saga, professor in the university’s Department of Graphic Design, provides academic cooperation.

According to the press materials, rather than arranging his work chronologically or by genre, the exhibition reconsiders it from two perspectives: showing the dynamism of his creative “process,” and surveying the “development” of his forms across genres and time.

Tama Art University Museum, which planned the exhibition, ended its activities in the Tama Center area in March 2023 and is preparing to reopen at a new location. The venue for this exhibition is the Art Theque on the Hachioji Campus.

Highlights: Eight parts and the “P” neon sign from Matsumoto PARCO

The exhibition consists of eight parts.

1. Tama Art University’s Symbol Mark

2. The Outdoor Sculpture “Dragon Spine” on the Hachioji Campus

3. The Life of Forms: From Animal Illustrations

4. Letters That Stand Up: ART & DESIGN

5. Resonances Played by Layered Structures

6. With MoMA and the World

7. The PARCO Logo

8. Through Making, People Gain True Life

In the symbol mark part, many of the idea drawings Igarashi left behind are shown (“Original Design Materials for the Tama Art University Symbol Mark, etc.,” 1995, collection of the Takenobu Igarashi Archive, Kanazawa Institute of Technology). The “P” neon sign (1996, PARCO Co., Ltd.) that hung on Matsumoto PARCO, which closed in February 2025, is also on display.

The press materials also include images of works such as “Wood Alphabet GO” (1981), “EXPO’85” (1982, Takeo Poster Collection), “Y・M・D Stainless Steel Table Setting” (1989–94), “Sculpture for Nike 180 Air Shoes” (1990) and “Endless Path No. 1” (2012, Takenobu Igarashi Museum of Art Kazenobi). “Wood Alphabet GO,” “Y・M・D Stainless Steel Table Setting” and “Sculpture for Nike 180 Air Shoes” are all in the collection of the Takenobu Igarashi Archive, Kanazawa Institute of Technology.

Related events: A roundtable, a gallery talk and viewing sessions for elementary school children

• Roundtable “The Design and Art of Takenobu Igarashi”: Saturday, November 14, 13:00–14:30, Lecture Hall A, Hachioji Campus. The speakers are architect Hiroshi Naito, president of the university; design researcher Ichiro Saga; product designer Yoshiharu Hamada (Professor, Product Design Course, Department of Product Design, Tama Art University); and artist Kuniko Satake (Professor, Printmaking Course, Department of Painting, Tama Art University), with art historian Tetsuya Oshima as moderator. No application required; free

• Gallery talk by the supervisor: Saturday, November 28, from 14:00 for about 40 minutes. Tetsuya Oshima gives commentary in the Art Theque 101–105 Gallery. No application required; free

• Chatty viewing sessions for elementary school children: Saturday, December 12, from 13:00 for first and second graders, from 14:00 for third and fourth graders and from 15:00 for fifth and sixth graders. Ten children per session, free. Apply through the museum’s website; applications close when capacity is reached (a lottery is held if applications arrive at the same time). Results are sent by email about a week after applying

Access and opening hours

Tama Art University’s Hachioji Campus is about eight minutes by Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu bus bound for “Tama Bijutsu Daigaku” from the North Exit of Hashimoto Station on the JR Yokohama Line, JR Sagami Line and Keio Sagamihara Line. From the South Exit of Hachioji Station on the JR Chuo Line, it takes about 20 minutes by Keio bus bound for “Tama Bijutsu Daigaku.” Opening hours are 10:30–18:30. The gallery is closed on Sundays and on Saturday, November 21. At Tama Art University, the Dieter Rams exhibition also opens on November 17 at Sala Blu, the new gallery on the Kaminoge Campus (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo). Design exhibitions are summarized in our guide to design, craft and architecture exhibitions.

Overview

Name: Takenobu Igarashi: Process and Development
Dates: Saturday, November 14 – Monday, December 14, 2026
Hours: 10:30–18:30
Closed: Sundays, Saturday, November 21
Venue: Art Theque 101–105 Gallery, Hachioji Campus, Tama Art University
Address: 2-1723 Yarimizu, Hachioji, Tokyo
Admission: Free
Organizer: Tama Art University
Planning: Tama Art University Museum
Supervision: Tetsuya Oshima (Director, Tama Art University Museum; Professor, Department of Art Studies, Tama Art University)
Academic cooperation: Ichiro Saga (Professor, Department of Graphic Design, Tama Art University)
Cooperation: Takenobu Igarashi Museum of Art Kazenobi, Takenobu Igarashi Archive at Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Takeo Co., Ltd., Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co., Ltd., PARCO Co., Ltd.
Sponsor: Nakagawa Chemical Inc.
Support: Hachioji City Board of Education, Machida City Board of Education
Official website: https://museum.tamabi.ac.jp/
*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Takenobu Igarashi, “Endless Path No. 1,” 2012, Takenobu Igarashi Museum of Art Kazenobi, photo: Masahide Sato (from a press release by Tama Art University)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from Tama Art University (October 1, 2026) and information on the Tama Art University Museum official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team