Oki Brut

During my sabbatical abroad, I spent three months in Okinawa, Japan. The island’s unique blend of East and West influences and the organic and the manmade, captured most poignantly by its architecture, stood out as an interesting narrative to research further. This publication aims to investigate the dichotomy of what could feel cold + precise in a warm cultural and environmental landscape and how the brutalist ethos is adapted in this context. All while showcasing photography and design that brings the reader into the experience itself.

Since most of the photography is of weathered concrete’s infinite shades of greys, the color scheme of the publication echoes the nature surrounding these imposing structures — bringing in the shades of sky blue, lush tropical forest green, with an injection of bright chartreuse and red accents. The choice of saturated colors balanced out with adequate whitespace creates visual contrast that the photography lacks in its subtle shadows.

The leading display typeface sets the tone of Brutalism’s generous curves, unadorned functionalism, and mid-century period. Then it is complemented by a serif that injects a conversational and quirky tone to the mix.