As another fantastically jam-packed Olympic games come to an end, the 2020 Paralympics are just getting started. This year's games come with an incredible set of posters that capture the strength and movement of the para-athletes.
Tokyo-based studio, Goo Choki Par, designed these captivating prints. Using a range of brushes, airbrushes and pencils, the set of 23 posters perfectly depict the dedication of the remarkable sports people and, like some of our other favourite inspiring posters, are sure to inspire you to get involved.
The different designs have been made to represent all the sports included in the summer games, making them wonderfully unique. They showcase traditional Japanese colour palettes, and use a range of geometric shapes, paint textures and freehand painting, to depict the theme of 'moving forward.'
The theme reflects both the athlete's determination and optimism in today's society as we move onward from the pandemic that delayed the 2020 games for a year. See some of the posters below, and read on to find out more about the inspiration behind them.
We love the green and blues in this one. (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)
This poster perfectly captures the fast-paced nature of Triathlon (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)
Boccia is similar to the sport of bowls. (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)
Designers used traditional Japanese colour palettes. (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)
If you look closely, you can see two characters sparring. (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)
This poster features two different types of bike used at the games. (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)
The posters are based on the theme of 'Moving forward'. (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)
The posters with a black background are to represent the blind classes within the sport. (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)
One of the Goo Choki Par artists, Iitake Kent explained in an interview for the official Olympic website that on the official poster they "wanted to portray the positive attitude and actions of a person who is looking to the future, and as a symbol of that image we featured a person moving forward".
The colours are one of the first things you notice about these posters as they jump off the page and accompany the notion of movement nicely. Kent explained in an interview that they "paid attention to blank spaces that add beauty to whole piece", and with such care and consideration going into every aspect of their design, it will come as no surprise to know that the black backgrounds have a deeper meaning. The dark designs are to represent the blind participants in the sport on the posters.
Even though the designs were chosen by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee as the official art posters of the Paralympic games, Kent told It's Nice That, that "there was no request from the Organising Committee, I voluntarily created posters for all the competitions."
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We love every aspect of these posters and can't help but feel inspired by the message behind them. The Tokyo games are proving to take the creative world by storm with their other incredible designs – it looks as though Paris 2024 needs to start taking notes. In the meantime, we'll be gazing at these posters while we watch the Paralympics.
Amelia previously worked as Creative Bloq’s Staff Writer. After completing a degree in Popular Music and a Master’s in Song Writing, Amelia began designing posters, logos, album covers and websites for musicians. She covered a range of topics on Creative Bloq, including posters, optical illusions, logos (she's a particular fan of logo Easter eggs), gaming and illustration. In her free time, she relishes in the likes of art (especially the Pre-Raphaelites), photography and literature. Amelia prides herself on her unorthodox creative methods, her Animal Crossing island and her extensive music library.
