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Shibuya Gallery Holds Retrospective for Late Godzilla, Star Wars Illustrator Noriyoshi Ōrai
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Starting on December 30, the PARCO GALLERY X in Shibuya will hold a retrospective on the career of late illustrator Noriyoshi Ōrai. Ōrai, who passed in October, created acclaimed movie poster artwork for Star Wars, Godzilla, Japan Sinks and other films and video games over the course of his 50-year career.
The exhibit will include both finished work and sketches by Ōrai. Godzilla special effects art director Toshio Miike will lead a discussion on December 30 followed by novelist Hirokatsu Kihara will host a talk on January 9. Fellow illustrators Shinji Nishikawa, Kia Asamiya, and Yūji Kaida will share artwork created in Ōrai's honor and be present to give lecturers and autographs on January 10, 11, and 17.
Born in 1935, illustrator Noriyoshi Ōrai reached critical acclaim in the 1980s when one of his Star Wars illustrations was published in a science-fiction magazine. Serendipitously, George Lucas saw the illustration and was so impressed he asked Ōrai to create the international poster for The Empire Strikes Back.
The poster would launch Ōrai's career. Now in his mid 40s, the illustrator was tapped to create posters for TOHO's most famous giant monster. He would create the illustrations for The Return of Godzilla, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and many others for the next 20 years. Ōrai also created artwork for popular game series like Nobunaga's Ambition.
Source: Anime! Anime!
