UKIYO-E Over-the-knee Socks

Iwase was born in Osaka in 1981, and as his father enjoyed painting and sculpture as a hobby, Iwase began drawing at an early age. In 1999, he began his career as an illustrator. Influenced by lowbrow art and rock music, he worked on flyer designs for indie bands and apparel shops.

Around 2007, he became very interested in pop art from earlier eras, including Japanese classical paintings, ukiyo-e, and signage and advertisements from the mid-Edo to Showa periods.

Using the ukiyo-e style as a foundation, he incorporates elements from classical calligraphy, manga, and contemporary art into his work. His concept for his creations is “bringing the air of the past into the present,” aiming to harmonize traditional painting styles with the modern era and explore new possibilities.

His past work spans a wide range, from store signage and corporate advertisements to traditional crafts designs, votive illustrations, apparel design, and TV commercials. He is known for the “Ukiyo-e Salaryman Series,” which depicts modern society through the ukiyo-e style.

In 2018, he was responsible for the main visuals for the PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN × HIROFUMI KIYONAGA capsule collection, sold across Japan through EDIFICE.

In 2019, HARE presented its Spring/Summer 2020 collection at Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO, featuring the collaboration graphic “HARE × Ukiyoemon.” Since 2019, he has been designing advertisements for iichikoUSA.

In 2020, as part of an adidas Japan project, he designed the first jerseys for the Toyota Verblitz, NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes, RICOH BlackRams, Suntory Sungoliath, and Kobelco Steelers participating in the JAPAN RUGBY TOP LEAGUE.

In 2022, he founded A DESIGN LAB, beginning activities aimed at the “Reconstruction of Tradition” in Japanese art.