Brief

Execute in a free and creative manner by featuring the act of 'cutting paper', which is what a paper cutter is supposed to do. Present the product not merely as a tool for cutting but as one for 'creation.'

Solution

Artist challenged how far we could go in transforming paper and polystyrene board into art with a single Olfa paper cutter. The act of cutting straight lines, which is what a cutter does best, was repeated over and over to create geometrical patterns. We spent an entire year cutting paper. The paper cutter actually used in the process is laid out in the lower white space of the poster. In order to highlight the product name “OLFA = Snap-Off Blade,” each poster shows a cutter with a blade snapped off.

Result

Detailed and repeated patterns are overwhelming to look at and they succeeded in getting people deeply involved in the posters. The created patterns were shot two ways, one overhead and the other with perspective to show both density and scale. By using a paper cutter and paper, both of which can be found anywhere, we were able to create memorable geometrical designs that nobody had ever seen before. The same patterns were used for a number of items, such as business cards and envelopes.

Artist

Hideto Yagi born 1975 in Saitama ( prefecture Saitama ) graduated in 2001 from the Tama Art University, and started his career in advertising at McCann Erickson Japan. He worked on both domestic and global accounts such as Microsoft Office, Johnson & Johnson, and Panasonic. He then joined Dentsu in 2006, as art director and graphic designer, and expanded his playing field while working for clients including Uniqlo, Honda, Fuji Film, Kirin, and Nestlé. Besides his day-to-day work, he finds the time to work on his own artwork that involves paper craft, pencil drawings, and paintings. He often collaborates with clients to create art in the form of advertising. His exhibition for the cutter brand Olfa titled Cutter Art of Olfa was highly acclaimed. He is also a member of the Japan Graphic Designers Association.