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Rina Sawayama Redesign

Art Direction, Graphic Design, Branding

2024

Rina Sawayama is a Japanese and British pop star who sings about topics such as identity, self-acceptance, challenging stereotypes, and reclamation of past experiences that have developed her into who she is today. She merges activism, art, and music into an electric presence and bold aesthetic.

Rina discusses her Japanese descent in her songs from the dilution and commodification of Japanese culture, the microaggressions and Western beauty standards she has faced, and her feelings of being an outsider. The rebrand style draws from Japanese Pop Art, specifically the Superflat movement which refers to the historical flat styles of Japanese art, as well as the flat shallowness of consumer culture. This style is a way to embrace the singer’s heritage and show a satirical side of how Japan is reduced to an aesthetic destination by Western tourists.

I wanted the look of this rebrand to embody how I view Rina and her music: bold, confident, and passionate. The first rebrand value is self-expression. Rina has spoken about not being afraid to express herself, encouraging people to change their looks to challenge other people’s ideas of them as a form of inspiration. The second value is being unapologetic; empowering people to not be sorry for who they are and embracing themselves.

I wanted a visual identity that reflected the artist and her songs. I chose to use a bright but limited color palette, the signature flat style of Japanese Pop Art, a simple type to accentuate the illustration, and a halftone for a retro feel.

To balance out the loud colors and illustrations, I wanted the logo to be bold yet minimal in its decoration, yet still something that's in your face.

I chose to keep Rina's iconic cowboy theme in this rebrand as it's become an associated part of her image.

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