"TADANORI YOKOO - Miyako", Japanese Contemporary Art Poster, Original Limited Edition Silk Screen 1997, Ultra Rare, Size (c.73 x 103cm)
This poster is ultra rare and is displayed in the world`s most prestigious galleries such as MoMA in New York City. It is very difficult / almost impossible to find in any condition.
Original Silkscreen Print on Paper, B1 Size (103 × 73 cm | 40.6 × 28.7 in)
As held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/6078
This is an original 1997 silkscreen print by the legendary Japanese graphic designer Tadanori Yokoo, created for the Miyako Youth Conference Association (美夜古青年会議所). A striking example of Yokoo’s mythopoetic visual language, this work fuses folkloric horror, Buddhist symbolism, and ukiyo-e tradition into a single, hypnotic dreamscape.
At the center of the composition is a grotesque red demon-child sprouting from a lotus blossom, its wiry frame and sunken yellow eyes brimming with mischief and menace. It stands awkwardly among blooming pink lotuses, framed inside a pure white oval—a portal of purity amid the swirling chaos. To the top left, a nine-tailed fox spirit bursts through silver clouds, rendered in brilliant blue and crimson, exhaling both threat and enchantment. Meanwhile, on the shadowy earth below, golden textured fogs give way to a half-hidden beast with glowing eyes, its grimace camouflaged in the rough textures of mountains or smoke.
The entire composition is backed by a spectral gradient that fades from smoky charcoal into a blood-red base, with a rising (or setting) sun nested in a lower golden circle—typifying Yokoo’s use of surreal natural cycles. The work is bordered by hand-brushed kanji and text blocks reading “MIYAKO,” connecting the fantastical to an actual Japanese region. Calligraphy throughout adds poetic weight, while gold leaf-style accents heighten the work’s physical richness.
Included in the MoMA permanent collection, this piece is one of Yokoo’s most spiritually enigmatic works from the 1990s, showcasing his deep fascination with death, rebirth, and the monstrous beauty of Japan’s visual heritage.
Silkscreen, Yokoo’s chosen medium for this work, offers a raw and tactile quality that digital printing lacks. Its vivid inks, subtle flaws, and layered textures contribute to a sense of handcrafted ritual—ideal for an artist mining myth, dream, and history. The physicality of this process mirrors Yokoo’s frequent blending of traditional Japanese aesthetics with outsider art sensibilities.
This print comes from an outstanding private collection in Japan, assembled over decades by one of the country’s most passionate Yokoo collectors. Rarely seen outside institutional holdings, this piece remains unbacked and in near mint condition. A haunting and mystical example of Yokoo’s mature style—perfect for collectors interested in Japanese psychedelia, folklore, and postwar avant-garde design.
Please refer to the imagery (both front and back) as this is the exact poster that is for sale.
It is over 28 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
*Please note the price is fixed for this item. It is not included in any of our periodic sales (e.g. Black Friday)!*
