Portion of “Community Emblem” ©Junichi Tsuneoka
A study in intricate, symbolic storytelling, “Community Emblem,” by powerhouse illustrator/designer Junichi Tsuneoka, is a critical piece of a new visual identity introduced by Birds Connect Seattle to coincide with our name change.
The commissioned artwork, with its everlasting, “Where’s Waldo” element of discovery, will appear initially on apparel and stickers – specifically the blue-and-yellow version on a navy t-shirt and three different colored stickers. All are for sale at the Nature Shop and occasional community appearances.
Junichi Tsuneoka (photo by Winifred Westergard).
Community Emblem (Orange) ©Junichi Tsuneoka
“This represents building a community that cares for conservation, with a focus on the connections between nature and the urban environment,” Tsuneoka says of Community Emblem. “The image underscores the importance of fostering connections within and between communities for the betterment of our shared environment.”
Tsuneoka’s well-known “California Sushi Style,” a mashup of Japanese pop and American urban cultures, has been featured in campaigns by the likes of Nike, adidas, Lululemon, Brooks Running, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Live Nation, and National Geographic, as well as in concert posters by artists such as Mos Def and MIA.
All the Who’s, What’s, How’s, & Why’s About Our New Name >>
Born and raised in Japan, Tsuneoka graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo, then moved to the U.S. to study graphic design. He earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts, where he now teaches. An avowed nature lover, Tsuneoka also operates the cutting edge Studio Stubborn Sideburn, which he founded after serving five years as senior designer and art director at Modern Dog Design in Seattle.
Tsuneoka’s work has been featured at the Wing Luke Museum, as part of an Art in Motion installation, and the Kentucky Museum of Art, in addition to a myriad design and illustration books and publications.
“For me, an illustration is an instinctive, semi-impulsive process of just drawing a picture, then digesting it and creating it as a new design through a computational process of simplification, exaggeration, addition, etc.,” Tsuneoka says. “Therefore, it can be said that the process consists of two major pillars. It’s like two sides of a coin. Both processes can be enjoyed in different ways, and if one of them is incomplete, the work will not be successful.”
For more about Junichi and our other Creative Partners: Click Here
Read about our new logo and visual journey: Click Here
Read about video storytelling with Brave Space Media: Click Here