Tomoko Miho

Who is Tomoko Miho?

Tomoko Miho was a Japanese-American designer and recipient of the 1993 Aiga Medal. She is known for her solid understanding between space and object. Kawakami was born in Los Angeles in 1931 and spent her early days in the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona.

She attended the Minneapolis School of Art on a summer scholarship and later received a full ride from the Art Center School in Los Angeles. Armed with a degree in industrial design, she and her husband and fellow designer, James Miho, went traveling through Europe as an opportunity to reassess her take on design.

Their trip to Europe allowed them many rare opportunities, such as touring the renowned Ulm School of Design and meeting designers including Armi Ratia, creator of the Marimekko image. Throughout this journey, as well as her marriage to a designer, Tomoko Miho managed to retain her individuality as an artist. Her use of perspective were impressive in their ability to create a feeling of three-dimensional spaciousness in a two-dimensional plane. Miho is noted for her contribution in the form of architectural posters in New York and Chicago. Today, they are still in the Museum of Modern Art.