Visual Artist Eiko Ishioka Dead at 73

Visual Artist Eiko Ishioka Dead at 73

The celebrated Academy Award-winning visual artist Eiko Ishioka has died in Tokyo at the age of 73 due to pancreatic cancer, her studio manager Tracy Roberts announced last Thursday.

Eiko Ishioka, who died a week ago, was a graduate of Fine Arts and Music from Tokyo National University and became the first woman member of the Tokyo Art Directors Club.  She eventually opened her own studio in 1970 and became famous for depicting her craft in a thought-provoking bold manner.

She won the 1992 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for the film "Bram Stoker's 'Dracula,'” which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

In 1986, she won a Grammy Award for her cover design of Miles Davis' album "Tutu".  She also won the Cannes Film Festival Award for her production design on Paul Schrader film "Mishima” in 1985.

Eiko Ishioka was the costume design director of the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony held in Beijing.  She also designed sports uniforms for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games held in Salt Lake City.

She designed the sets on Broadway and the costumes for David Henry Hwang's 1988 Tony Award-winning drama "M. Butterfly," wherein she had two Tony Award nominations for scenic design and costume design.

In 1992, she was named to the Hall of Fame by the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.

"Spider-Man" producers Jeremiah J. Harris and Michael Cohl said that “her work will continue to touch audiences for years to come."

Posted by Kade Quinn on Sunday January 29 2012, 5:07 AM EST. Ref: Reuters. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0