Event: Japan

“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit. | SEIGENSHA ART PUBLISHING, INC. “A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is small enough to comfortably hold open in one hand — and yet few books its size can claim a similar influence on design, art and fashion both within Japan and beyond.On Instagram, reel after reel has readers flipping through the book’s pages and showing off their creations: an outfit of ecru trousers, a lavender shirt and warm brown leather boots; a room with walls painted shades of deep slate olive and dusky green with a vermillion and crimson daybed; even a glam makeup look of goldenrod, mahogany, mint and deep sea green.Though it seems designed precisely for the visual churn of social media, the painstaking studies and 300 color paintings that comprise “A Dictionary of Color Combinations” date back almost a century — to printmaker and color theorist Sanzo Wada. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. SUBSCRIBE NOW