Tokyo 2020 Olympic posters are a delightfully eclectic mix

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The official posters for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are here, and they're an eclectic mix designed by an equally eclectic range of artists. There are 20 posters overall, by 19 artists, with 12 to represent the Olympics, and eight for the Paralympics. 

Artists include Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili, Japanese manga artist Naoki Urasawa, illustrator Philippe Weisbecker and photographer Viviane Sassen. The designer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic logos, Asao Tokolo, made two posters, one for the Olympics and one for the Paralympics, and his posters are a nod to his original designs. They actually make us like the emblems more. 

Elsewhere, there are some abstract takes on the games, with some more rooted in Japanese culture than others. Below, we take a look at some of our favourites from the Tokyo Olympic poster collection.

For more inspirational designs, see our favourite poster designs ever, or our best logos roundup.

Asao Tokolo's poster for the Olympics, which ties into the logo

Some, like Hirohiko Araki, went for a vibrant approach to the brief:

This poster conjures up exceptionally strong people, like Olympians

We love the brush strokes on this poster by calligraphy artist Shoko Kanazawa.

The colours on this piece add a feeling of warmth

And here's a delightfully graphic approach from Goo Choki Par.

We absolutely love this collage-based approach

The subtle line drawing in this piece by Naoki Urasawa is outstanding (see our how to draw manga tutorial to emulate it). 

This poster shows the power of black and white

This one by artist Tomoko Konoike is rather hair-raising. 

This poster is entitled Wild Things – Hachilympic

The Games People Play by artist Chris Ofili incorporates a rather abstract interpretation of the Tokyo flag.

This is one that reveals more the more you look at it

The posters "have been created based on the themes of the Olympics and Paralympics by Japanese and other global figures in the art world," according to the Tokyo 2020 website, where you can see the entire collection of official Olympic posters.

With such a mix of different artists and mediums, there really is something for everyone. The artwork will be on display at a special exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo until 16 February. 

If you can't make it to Tokyo, you can always get your Olympic logo fix from this Tokyo 1964 Olympic design sheet, which was recently unearthed.

Read more:

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• Where to find logo design inspiration
• Is this the defining movie poster trend of the decade?

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