"TADANORI YOKOO - Clear Light February 1974", Japanese Contemporary Art Poster, Original Offset 1974, Ultra Rare, Size (c.69 x 103cm)
This is an original Japanese offset poster printed in the 1974. 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.
As held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/60332
This is an original Japanese offset poster printed in 1974, issued as part of Tadanori Yokoo’s legendary Clear Light portfolio published by Tokyo Planning. This poster is ultra rare, printed in a limited edition of only 5,000 copies, and is considered one of the most spiritually and visually arresting works from Yokoo’s early 1970s period. Extremely difficult to find in any condition, especially complete and unbacked, this piece embodies the unique psychedelic-mystic visual language that has made Yokoo’s work a cornerstone of Japanese graphic design.
Japan Poster Shop has acquired a substantial and unique collection of original Tadanori Yokoo posters from one of the most prolific collectors in Japan. This individual has a very colorful life story, having invested and dedicated many decades to his love for Tadanori Yokoo`s vibrant designs.
The image is a visionary fusion of Persian miniature styling, biblical symbolism, and interstellar color. A dramatic diagonal beam of divine light cuts across the image, striking an angelic figure—perhaps the Archangel Michael or Virgil—standing beside a cloaked man atop a cliff. Below them, a spectral city glows in unearthly orange-green, pressed against a cosmic night sky rendered in matte black and violet hues. Framing the scene is a lavish red and gold brocade pattern, with faux-cursive Arabic or Persian script running along the bottom—a nod to illuminated manuscripts, both sacred and decorative.
The chromatic choices are quintessential Yokoo: bold magentas, radiant blues, and supernaturally accented highlights create a charged spiritual atmosphere that feels both ancient and futuristic.
The verso shows a faint watermark and is hand-numbered (this print marked 2641/5000), verifying its place in the Clear Light set. Offset lithography was used to achieve the rich saturation and intricate overlays—a testament to Yokoo’s meticulous approach to color and layering, even in mechanically reproduced formats. The border patterns mimic tapestry or carpet textures, achieving an illusion of textile within the print medium.
Clear Light was created during a turning point in Yokoo’s career—shortly after his immersion in transcendental meditation and travels across India. This print, like others in the series, merges spiritual inquiry with psychedelic visual experimentation. It also reflects Yokoo’s growing interest in non-Western iconography, especially Islamic art and Persian mysticism, filtered through his own graphic lens.
Printed only once in 1974 and distributed as part of a boxed portfolio of 13 plates, Clear Light remains exceptionally scarce. Individual plates from the set, especially those signed or cleanly preserved, are highly collectible. This particular plate is clean, unmounted, and retains strong color fidelity—rare for a 50-year-old piece.
Yokoo’s Clear Light series bridges the gap between Eastern metaphysics and pop-era poster design. It stands as a luminous example of postwar Japanese graphic experimentation, religious symbolism, and global visual synthesis. A centerpiece for any collector of Japanese modernism, spiritual psychedelia, or Yokoo's most refined poster work.
Please refer to the imagery (both front and back) as this is the exact poster that is for sale.
It is over 51 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
