Innovative Nameless Tubes of Paint That Use Primary Colors to Identify the Hue Inside

no name paint

In 2012, Japanese designers Yusuke Imai and Ayami Moteki won the Kokuyo Design Awards for their “Nameless Paints“, an innovative paint set that show the combination of primary colors involved in creating the color inside each tube, rather than giving the color a name. The intention, per the designers, is “to eliminate stereotypes with respect to the color”.

By not assigning names to the colors we want to expand the definition of what a color can be, and the various shades they can create by mixing them. …There is a color called “light blue”. But water coming out of the faucet, not that color. There is a color called “flesh-colored”. But, I am sure the cheeks of a child are more like red.

The duo partnered with the Kokuyo stationery brand “Campus” and over the past three years, have worked on their design to make it available for purchase in October 2015.

Nameless Paints 2

Nameless Paint Hues

images via Kokuyo Design Awards

via Spoon & Tamago

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.