Horitaro, traditional Japanese tattooing

 

Business cards and shop cards for Horitaro, tattoo artist specialised in traditional Japanese tattooing

Yuki Saito, better known under his artist name Horitaro, is a talented tattoo artist, specialising in traditional Japanese tattooing (irezumi, wabori) and tebori technique (hand tattooing).

He started at the age of 17. And in 2002, he opened his first studio, after 5 years of apprenticeship at Horihito in Kawasaki.

In 2014, he moved to central Hiroshima and changed the name of his studio to HRSG Horitaro Tattoo Studio. It was at this time that he needed new business cards and shop cards.

 

The challenge: simple elegance and highlighting of the traditional aspect

I wanted to know what he had in mind for his new communication tools. He insisted that he didn’t want the clichéd visuals often associated with the tattoo world. They often use collages of photos of tattooed bodies on flyers printed on glossy paper. Instead, he wanted something rather classy and clean, that evokes the traditional aspect of his art.

He had noticed the Nininbaori agency’s business cards, printed in letterpress on very thick paper. He explained to me that he wanted the same kind of finish.

 

Using an Indian ink drawing and two-colour letterpress printing

I asked him if I could use one of his drawings as the main visual. The next morning he came back to me with a beautiful Indian ink drawing he had made during the night. It was a Koi carp, a symbol very much used in traditional Japanese tattooing.

I suggested to him to use only three colours to give more elegance and simplicity to these printed materials.

White (the colour of the paper), black (reminiscent of the tattoo ink). And vermilion red, a colour traditionally used in the Shinto religion and in Japanese lacquer, or considered as a colour to ward off demons. In addition to the symbolic aspect, this choice of colours would also reduce printing costs.

He was immediately seduced by my idea.

 

 

 

You can find Horitaro on his website: www.horitaro.jp or on his Instagram account.

This project was published in Japanese Graphics by SendPoints and in Get Impressed-The Revival of Letterpress and Handmade Type by Sandu Publishing.

 

Get Impressed, The revival of letterpress and handmade type | Sandu