Taku Satoh, Art Director

What does freedom mean to us?

To celebrate the 30-day countdown to our grand opening, we are launching a special daily series featuring 30 guests with deep ties to Nara Prison: "The Exquisite Prison and the 30."
Day 1 kicks off with Taku Satoh, our Art Director, who crafted the museum’s exhibition concept.

A Unique Exhibition Born from a Confined Space

I have curated numerous exhibitions throughout my career, but this is my first time working with a prison as the subject. However, upon seeing the architecture, I felt certain that this confined environment would allow for a truly compelling experience. From history and architecture to the daily lives of inmates, and even the prison’s influence on modern fashion, film, and art—there are countless layers to explore.

The challenge was how to weave these elements together. After much trial and error, we arrived at the final layout spanning Wings A through C. At the same time, we must remember that a prison is a facility that has absorbed the complex emotions of many people over the decades. I felt a responsibility to address those emotions with sincerity. In designing this space, I wanted to invite visitors to reflect on the meaning of freedom while honoring the weight of the site’s history.

Sketching the Nara Prison Museum logo.

PROFILE

Taku Satoh

Graphic Designer / Art Director

A graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts, Taku

Satoh is the creative force behind iconic designs like “LOTTE XYLITOL Gum” and “Meiji Oishii Gyunyu.” Beyond branding and posters, he is the general director of NHK’s “Design Ah!,” Director of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, and President of Kyoto University of the Arts.

For the Nara Prison Museum, his vision as Art Director extends from the exhibitions and logo to staff uniforms and museum shop merchandise.

Follow the series on Instagram: “The Exquisite Prison and the 30”