Seigensha

From 1933 to 1934 Sanzo Wada published a collection of colour combinations that was the first of its kind in Japan. In 2010 Seigensha reprinted this classic as A Dictionary of Colour Combinations, which was applauded by Die Zeitas a source of inspiration filled with a captivating array of “hues we didn’t even know existed.”

Now, following on that enduring bestseller, A Dictionary of Colour Combinations Vol. 2 brings back two more works by Wada published in 1935–1936 and 1938, respectively. The book presents 72 color patterns themed on the Japanese seasons and another 165 drawn from early to mid-twentieth-century fashion, interior, and graphic design, making it an indispensable reference for designers, fashion and interior specialists, illustrators, photographers, writers, and indeed anyone engaged in creative work.

This book is a collection of 348 colour combinations originated by Sanzo Wada (1883-1967) who, in that time of increasingly avant-grade and diversified use of colour, was quick to focus on the importance of colour and laid the foundation for contemporary colour research. Sanzo Wada was active as an artist, art school instructor, costume designer for the movies and the theater, and kimono and fashion designer who employed his extensive and versatile talents to do innovative work that centered primarily on visual perception and form.

Sanzo Wada’s interest in colour prompted him to found the Japan Standard Colour Association (present-day Japan Colour Research Institute) in 1927. Active not only as a colour researcher but also as an artist, fashion designer, and stage and film art director, he received the 1954 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Gate of Hell and was recognized as a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government in 1958.