Shuetso Sato (65) has no formal training as a graphic designer, but his handmade transit signs, made from pieces of colored duct tape, are considered works of art.
From Chris Gaul's Medium article:
Sato san has no formal graphic design training (Before working as security guard, he was a bank teller and worked in a cafeteria). Nevertheless, he has a masterful eye for form and colour. His exceptional letterforms are not only elegant and unique but, more importantly, very easy to read.
Using duct tape to craft the letters gives his work a distinctive style. He begins by running long strips of tape vertically and horizontally across the surface of the sign. He then slices away the excess to form each character. Some extra tape and a few curved cuts make the bends. It’s a straightforward process, but even the simplest signs take him hours to produce.
Sato san has a talent for designing Japanese and English letterforms that suit his duct tape medium. The exaggerated shape of his kanji, forced to their extremes by his grid system, are particularly elegant. He also has an incredible ability for clear visualisations: he often designs complex station diagrams with custom pictograms and colour coding for different lines — all made by hand from duct tape.
See also: The one and only master of train station packing-tape calligraphy shares his story and inspiration
By ZoAmichi Kai – DSC_0004, CC BY 2.0, Link
