Witness
to Wartime
Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii documents the life of Takuichi Fujii (1891–1964), a Japanese American artist who created a remarkably comprehensive visual record of his experiences during World War II — including incarceration under the U.S. government's wartime removal program. One of the most significant exhibitions in the museum's history, it occupied all three of Morikami's galleri
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The Brief
The subject matter carries real weight — incarceration, displacement, loss. The design challenge was honoring that gravity without letting it define the entire visitor experience. Fujii's diary is not only a record of suffering; it's an extraordinary act of witness, creativity, and endurance. The identity needed to hold both.
The Approach
The goal was to create an environment of education and reverence — not centered on sadness, but on the remarkable nature of Fujii's account. A space that felt celebratory and inviting, worthy of exploration.
The environmental palette anchors that intention. A deep terracotta red runs across all three galleries, warm and enveloping rather than somber. The two-tone wall treatment — with color panels that flush seamlessly into the painted surfaces — creates a sleek, considered environment that lets Fujii's work breathe without competing with it. Dark entry walls and bold typographic installation set a tone of seriousness at the threshold before opening into the warmer gallery spaces.
Typography pairs Hot Rush Sans — weighted, urgent, unflinching — with Garamond Pro for body text, grounding the exhibition in both immediacy and historical legibility. The system travels from outdoor banners and entry signage to invitations and print collateral, maintaining coherence across every touchpoint.
Role
Lead Designer. Visual identity, environmental graphics, typography, color direction, print collateral, signage, and installation across three galleries.
