Despite fierce opposition from his mother to pursue an artistic career, Tanaami managed to enter Musashino Art University, and on his second year in 1957, won a special selection award at the Japan Advertising Artists Club Art Exhibition. He landed a job at Hakuhodo Agency, and developed crucial encounters with various prominent artists in the 1960s.

Keiichi Tanaami, ORDER MADE!!, 1965 © Keiichi Tanaami / Courtesy of NANZUKA

An entire wall is devoted to ORDER MADE!! Series (1965), silkscreen prints of brightly colored men’s striped jackets and ties, and superimposed with hangers. The pop graphics theme evokes repetitive mass-produced clothing that ironically downplays materialistic consumerism. This series and that of NO MORE WAR were both essential in triggering Tanaami’s breakthrough in commercial art, manifested in music album jackets, posters and illustrated books during the height of American pop culture. The award-winning poster series NO MORE WAR (1967) for the American magazine Avant Garde is rich in half-tone backgrounds and urban art-inspired comical icons. They reminisce the artist’s horrific childhood experience during the war.

Keiichi Tanaami, NO MORE WAR series, 1967. Photo: Alma Reyes

Displayed are works from his published pop art book “Portrait of Keiichi Tanaami” (1966), portraying the blend of Japanese manga and American hero comics, and “Illustrated Book of Imaginary Tomorrows” (1969), filled with mass media collages of the underground art scene in Tokyo in the 1960s.

Keiichi Tanaami, Wonder Woman, 1967 © Keiichi Tanaami / Courtesy of NANZUKA

After stumbling upon Andy Warhol’s works during his first trip to New York in 1970, Tanaami revolutionized his conviction about art and design. He diverted his role to an “image director,” in full command of layout, composition and color application. These are seen in his numerous splashy and monochrome works for magazine covers, such as Shukan Playboy (in which Tanaami was art director), Image Forum, Art Graphic, and other publications.

Keiichi Tanaami, Good-by Marilyn, 1971

Tanaami was immensely allured to the cinema since childhood and adored Osamu Tezuka. Despite not having complete training in filmmaking, he pushed himself to produce animated films. Visitors can watch a compilation of seven animation clips based on Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Yoko Ono, Coca Cola, TV commercials, marionettes, and other pop motifs.