"HENRY MILLER PAINTING EXHIBITION", Japanese Contemporary Art Poster, Original Offset 1968, Ultra Rare, Size (c.75 × 104 cm)

This is an original Japanese offset poster printed in 1968. This poster is ultra-rare and is displayed in one of Japan’s most prestigious institutions, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (MOMAK). It is extremely difficult—almost impossible—to find in any condition.

As held in the permanent collection of MOMAK, Kyoto.

This original 1968 Japanese offset poster announced the first major Henry Miller Painting Exhibition in Japan. Its psychedelic gradient—from hot sunset reds through electric pinks to deep-ocean blue—instantly evokes the late-’60s pop-art zeitgeist. A lime-green full-length silhouette of Miller, hands in pockets and calmly surveying the horizon, anchors the composition, while a small cut-out family portrait—encircled by a yellow halo—rests on a craggy promontory in the lower right, symbolising Miller’s memories of Big Sur and his literary “family” of characters.

Running vertically down the left is the title ミラー像 (“Portrait of Miller”), and the calligraphy across the top renders “Henry Miller” in archaic kanji transliteration—an unusual typographic flourish that merges Western subject matter with traditional Japanese brushwork. Offset lithography achieves the smooth colour bands and razor-sharp silhouette edges, typical of high-quality commercial printing of the era.

The colours show some gentle fading from past sunlight exposure. Aside from scattered foxing and minor edge nicks—easily stabilised during conservation backing if desired—the piece remains remarkably intact and retains much of its original visual impact.

Henry Miller’s 1960s artwork, much like his prose, fused bold colour with existential introspection. Posters for his Japanese exhibitions were printed once and lightly distributed—few were saved. Collectors prize this design for its arresting palette, cross-cultural typography, and historical link to the burgeoning dialogue between Japanese modern art circles and Western counter-culture.

Please refer to the imagery (both front and back) as this is the exact poster that is for sale.

It is over 57 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.