Colour Hunting In Tokyo

An exhibition on at 21_21 Design Sight in Roppongi, Tokyo, until October 6, explores the colour spectrum in exotic locations, from snowy mountains to African wildlife parks. Dai Fujiwara, former creative director of fashion designer Issey Miyake, searched the globe to capture real-world hues, the way a hunter would seek out rare game. Fujiwara and his team would then reproduce colour on a piece of paper by mixing watercolours, to perfectly match tones they found in the wild. If the swatch disappeared into the target, it was deemed a perfect catch.

One display features feathers of the toki, the endangered Japanese crested ibis of Sado Island. School children each painted a feather. The result is a group of 41 feathers that shows the nuances of colour through individual interpretation.