Hobonichi Preview #6: Yoshie Watanabe

The sixth line-up from Hobonichi features a collaboration with CACUMA art director Yoshie Watanabe. There's 2 textile covers, a Weeks, 3 clear covers, and some stationery. I'm gonna start straight away with the fact that I personally find the design a bit too plain and boring but I can totally see someone who enjoys very minimal 20th century design may get a kick out of these prints.

 

The A6, A5, and the Weeks all have the Petit Bloom print, a series of colourful flowers in very simple shapes paired with a tasteful red stripe, either on the spine or the cover and back. It reminds me a bit of Khokhloma, probably just because it's a floral print on a dark background, which I enjoy more because of it's narrow colour palette.

I think the clear plaid-dotted covers are quite cute, this is probably more of the retro style that I enjoy.

I think I'm not a big fan of gold-foil stickers so i feel pretty neutral about them, though I think they do give the flowers a bit of an art deco flair which is pretty. I think this print works pretty great with the sticky notes and the deco tape because of how simple it is. Then again maybe it's just my sticky note bias once more...

Am I being to harsh on this collection? I think Watanabe's work is very good, I'm just not personally very drawn to it.