Adore

ADORE is a limited edition publication of 800 books designed and published by NJG Studio. 100 “Strictly Limited Edition” books with a neon pink bellyband which are signed and numbered books by photographer Kenji Wakasugi with a “Limited Edition” signed and numbered fine art digital print. 700 “Limited Edition” with a canary yellow bellyband also signed and numbered by the book’s photographer.

It was January 1985, Tokyo – Madonna’s first visit to Japan to promote the ‘Like a Virgin’ album. Photographer Kenji Wakasugi was allotted 45 minutes for a photo session and this book is a complete overview of the session – 200 pages include 324 frames, 10 contact sheets, together with 111 large format black and white portraits. For three and a half decades this collection remained private, near silent.

The design of this art-book pays homage to Japanese 80s minimalism with a cover of Extract Aqua with a buckram emboss, a paper from G . F Smith made from recycled coffee cups destined for landfill and featuring only the title ADORE debossed in ebony foil. A classic ebony endpaper is inside each book. Madonna’s name is foiled in Japanese text on the accompanying canary yellow and neon pink bellybands which were singer sewn around the cover of the books – the idea being that the book itself becomes an object of beauty.