Break of dawn: Studio Bang-Gu’s lyrical identity for End Of Summer 2024 ushers in a rising sun

Portland-based cross-cultural art programme End Of Summer (EOS) marks a new chapter in its story with a bright and vibrant identity for its 2024 exhibition. Designed by long-time collaborators Studio Bang-Gu, the visual language celebrates both the legacy of EOS’s late founder, Matt Jay, and the programme’s exciting future under new partnerships. The collaboration began in December 2015 when Jay invited the San Francisco-based collaborative design practice – led by Daisy (Dal Hae) Lee and Lucien Ng – to create the programme’s branding. Through its thoughtful design and programming – including an immersive residency for emerging artists and creators from Japan – End Of Summer strives to explore the art of Japan in an increasingly globalised society, reconsidering notions of East and West. “From the beginning,” the duo tell us of the longstanding collaboration, “we aimed to create a visual identity that encapsulates the essence of the End Of Summer (EOS) programme. Starting with the logo, the programme’s name, ‘End Of Summer: 夏の終わり,’ features an ‘O’ in both English and Japanese – a symbol we used to represent the sun setting in the West.” To align with the month-long residency, Studio Bang-Gu had also designed an interchangeable logo that shifts weekly to mirror the descending stages of the sun, emphasising the ongoing journey of shared experience and growth.