Tokyo 2020 Olympic posters are a delightfully eclectic mix

By Rosie Hilder
last updated

Artists from around the globe interpret the Games.

The official posters for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are here, and they're an eclectic mix designed by an equally eclectic range of artists. There are 20 posters overall, by 19 artists, with 12 to represent the Olympics, and eight for the Paralympics. 

Artists include Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili, Japanese manga artist Naoki Urasawa, illustrator Philippe Weisbecker and photographer Viviane Sassen. The designer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic logos (opens in new tab), Asao Tokolo, made two posters, one for the Olympics and one for the Paralympics, and his posters are a nod to his original designs. They actually make us like the emblems more. 

Elsewhere, there are some abstract takes on the games, with some more rooted in Japanese culture than others. Below, we take a look at some of our favourites from the Tokyo Olympic poster collection.

For more inspirational designs, see our favourite poster designs (opens in new tab) ever, our selection of the best Olympic poster designs and our best logos (opens in new tab) roundup.

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Asao Tokolo's poster for the Olympics, which ties into the logo (Image credit: Asao Tokolo)

Some, like Hirohiko Araki, went for a vibrant approach to the brief:

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This poster conjures up exceptionally strong people, like Olympians (Image credit: Hirohiko Araki)

We love the brush strokes on this poster by calligraphy artist Shoko Kanazawa.

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The colours on this piece add a feeling of warmth (Image credit: Shoko Kanazawa)

And here's a delightfully graphic approach from Goo Choki Par.

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We absolutely love this collage-based approach (Image credit: Goo Choki Par)

The subtle line drawing in this piece by Naoki Urasawa is outstanding (see our how to draw manga (opens in new tab) tutorial to emulate it). 

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This poster shows the power of black and white (Image credit: Naoki Urasawa)

This one by artist Tomoko Konoike is rather hair-raising. 

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This poster is entitled Wild Things – Hachilympic (Image credit: Tomoko Konoike)

The Games People Play by artist Chris Ofili incorporates a rather abstract interpretation of the Tokyo flag.

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This is one that reveals more the more you look at it (Image credit: Chris Ofili)

The posters "have been created based on the themes of the Olympics and Paralympics by Japanese and other global figures in the art world," according to the Tokyo 2020 website (opens in new tab), where you can see the entire collection of official Olympic posters.

With such a mix of different artists and mediums, there really is something for everyone. The artwork will be on display at a special exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo until 16 February. 

If you can't make it to Tokyo, you can always get your Olympic logo fix from this Tokyo 1964 Olympic design sheet (opens in new tab), which was recently unearthed.

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Rosie Hilder
Rosie Hilder

Rosie Hilder is Creative Bloq's Deputy Editor. After beginning her career in journalism in Argentina – where her blogging prowess led her to become Deputy Editor of Time Out Buenos Aires – she moved back to the UK and joined Future Plc in 2016. Since then, she's worked as Operations Editor on art and design magazines, including Computer Arts, 3D World and Paint & Draw, and got the 'Apple bug' when working on US title, Mac|Life. In 2018, she left the world of print behind and moved to Creative Bloq, where she helps take care of the daily management of the site, including growing the site's reach through trying to please the Google Gods, getting involved in events, such as judging the Brand Impact Awards, and helping make sure its content serves its readers as best it can. Her interests lie in branding and illustration, tech and sexism, and plenty more in-between.

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