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History and values
POSCA, iconic brand
For the last 30 years, the POSCA marker has accompanied creativity in all its forms throughout the world.
Launched in the early 80s, the POSCA paint marker was an immediate success among the artistic communities arising from urban cultures, and especially the Graffiti community.
Graffiti artists very quickly adopted the marker, which met all their needs: convenient and efficient, an ideal way of always having paint in your pocket when you want to paint in the street and share your creation with the public. They gave it real popularity, which gradually spread beyond the urban space. Studio artists began to go outside and try their hands at street art, while graffiti artists started working on canvas. These exchanges between one artistic community and another are the source of POSCA’s universal credibility, which has continued to win over new users ever since.
From Street Art to Fine Art via Illustration, Graffiti, Portraits and all forms of Customisation, POSCA now drives artistic momentum among all creators in all media.
For temporary or permanent projects, POSCA offers a universal, accessible language that brings artists and amateurs of all ages together around the same passion – creation!
1886 – Foundation of Uni Mitsubishi Pencil in Tokyo. Building on exceptional traditional Japanese skills, the company creates, manufactures and markets extraordinary pencils.
1983 – Following nearly a century of innovations in the development of writing instruments and coloured inks, Uni Mitsubishi Pencil creates POSCA, a revolutionary paint marker.
The very first range of four tips and 22 colours is born. This is the beginning of a long success story for the water-based marker, which will become a cult.
Its unrivalled ink, whose formulation has not changed since it was created, is extremely rich in pigments and ultra-resistant to atmospheric conditions and the passage of time. Its bright matte colours have great depth – artists love them for their creations and hobbyists are stunned by the “magical” effect of POSCA.
Late 1980s – Graffiti is taking over the planet, ultimately even being displayed in museums. POSCA gains a strong reputation among the first generations of graffiti artists, who claim the marker for their own and explore its technical potential. Little by little, it becomes an indispensable creative tool among urban artists.
Early 2000s – The term “Street Art” bursts into the art news. The POSCA brand encourages and supports a growing number of artistic initiatives going well beyond the graffiti community.
2000s – Thanks to the net, a new generation of artists sets off to travel and explore the planet in search of inspiration and shared creative experiences: the road trip replaces the bohemian life. POSCA, a nomadic tool if ever there was one, accompanies them across the world.
2009 – Five new colours for illustrating characters are the first addition to the range: ivory, beige, straw yellow, bordeaux and slate grey enrich the POSCA range.
2010 – With new gold and silver inks, followed by six metallic colours, the POSCA range continues its expansion and its colour chart becomes universal.
2011 – Launch of POSCA TV on YouTube. In general, POSCA’s presence on the fast-growing social networks is testament to the great vitality of the artistic communities using the brand. Inspired professionals and amateurs share their creative experiences, from the simplest to the most audacious.
2012 – Launch of the first collaboration with Starwax, a fanzine dedicated to musical discoveries. The POSCA community produces a remix compilation on a superb picture disc.
2014 – In less than ten years, POSCA has become an essential customisation tool. The brand takes part in the Rip Curl GromSearch, a surfing competition for under-16s, for the first time.16 POSCA, the surfboard customisation tool, is thus introduced to these passionate fans. Present at all the best spots on the European coasts, POSCA invites surfers and artists to get back in touch with the original tribal spirit of the surfing pioneers, who decorated their boards with magical symbols to confront the Ocean!
2014 – POSCA co-produces the “Flippaper” with the Rhône-Alpes region. Invented by Jéremie Cortial and Roman Miletitch, this pinball machine allows users to design pin tables on paper using POSCA markers, and then to play on the table using an ingenious electronic scanning system.
2015 – The POSCA colour chart has been enriched once again: glitter colours have been added, creating a new effect for even more creative possibilities, followed by two fresh new colours: coral and water green.
In collaboration with artist Creez, Posca signs its first limited edition for the 20th anniversary of streetwear brand Wrung.
2016 – 5 new dark colours have been added to the Posca palette, always in tune with the times: fushia, dark brown, dark red, navy blue and khaki.
POSCA becomes a partner of the “BATTLE PRO” hip-hop dance world championship, which perpetuates the spirit of the original hip-hop (Marseille edition). The cult marker accompanies the Marcel mini-mascot, whose backpack signed by the dancers (to POSCA, of course) is transformed into a mini visitors’ book for the qualifying stages.
Release of the book Surf Artworks, a collaboration between POSCA and Surf Session magazine. The book traces the history of surfboard customisation and pays tribute to surf artists from around the world.
End of 2016 – Creation of workshop packs for the general public, which have become essential and are now renewed each season. For each new edition, POSCA works with different artists to create original boards. The aim is to offer the general public the chance to share the artists’ advice and tips, so that they can follow in their footsteps, find inspiration and progress.
2017
The artist Codex Urbanus is using POSCA fluo to decorate the black walls of the Paris Aquarium with his chimeras. Illuminated by a “black light”, his drawings reinforce the fantastic aspect of the place.
A new, wide, conical tip has joined the Posca range: the PC-7M! Ideal for filling and large-scale precision work, it was immediately adopted by many artists. To accompany its launch, a video of an original creation was produced with the artist Aurélie Andres.
July 2018 – To support the brand’s expansion, provide ever more technical information on products and media, and pay tribute to the POSCA user communities around the world, a new, completely redesigned POSCA.COM website has gone live.
2019 – POSCA launches two new creative tools: POSCA Pastel and POSCA Pencil! True to POSCA’s DNA, these new products are based on a unique formula using natural pigments, giving them vivid, luminous colours with intense shades. Multi-supported and easy to use, they have quickly won over artists and drawing enthusiasts who can now count on 3 ultra-qualitative and complementary POSCA creative tools to express their creativity to the full.
2022 – As a tribute to its urban origins, POSCA has invented a brand new marker with an original shape: the MOP’R. The MOP’R is inspired by the shoe polish bottles that graffiti artists used in the 80s. With its XXL tip, it can be used both horizontally and vertically, and held upright or upside down. It’s a revolutionary, highly intuitive tool that makes it easy to create large drawings, XXL fillings, controlled drips and a host of technical or fun effects (splash, spray, stamp, etc.).