"TADANORI YOKOO - Hijikata and the Japanese", Japanese Contemporary Art Poster, Original Limited Edition Silk Screen 2007, Signed, 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)
This is an original 2007 silkscreen print by Tadanori Yokoo, created in collaboration with the legendary Japanese photographer Eikoh Hosoe. Titled 土方巽と日本人 (Hijikata and the Japanese), the piece revisits Yokoo’s earlier 1960s imagery with a deeply symbolic, psychedelic twist, and commemorates Hosoe’s acclaimed photo exhibition of the same name. The two artists fuse their disciplines here—photography and graphic design—into a vibrant artifact of modern Japanese avant-garde culture.
The central image features a stark, high-contrast black and white photograph by Hosoe of Butoh founder Tatsumi Hijikata crouched on a primitive wooden scaffold, printed over a luminous red rising sun. Behind him, a synthetic gradient sky fades from sand to indigo, anchoring two fluttering Japanese flags tied with bright green cord. The lower half of the composition radiates a hot pink halftone landscape, bleeding into ink-washed mountains—a surreal, postwar vision of Japan itself.
Overlayed throughout are explosive blocks of Japanese type in electric cyan, crimson, yellow, and magenta. These quote performance dates, political pamphlets, publishing imprints, and more, giving the poster an agitprop aesthetic. Most striking are the two golden handprints—each one individually pressed by Yokoo himself—making every piece of this edition entirely unique and tactile. These shimmering imprints give the work a talismanic charge, evoking ritual, identity, and creative embodiment.
About Silkscreen & Subculture
This silkscreen print is a masterclass in labor-intensive, analog design. Unlike digital prints, the gradients, halftones, and metallic elements here reflect the physicality and precision of handcrafted poster-making. Each copy is also hand-signed by both Tadanori Yokoo and Eikoh Hosoe, merging authorship and artistry in a raw, intimate form.
Provenance & Rarity
This edition was released by Okabe Print Editions in a strictly limited run of just 90 artist proofs—each hand-stamped with Yokoo’s own palm in metallic ink. Every print is signed by both Yokoo and Hosoe, a highly rare pairing. These prints were never reprinted, and virtually never surface publicly. The present example is in near-mint condition with vivid inks, pristine paper, and no backing.
A cornerstone piece for collectors of Japanese avant-garde, Butoh dance, photography, and graphic design. This work represents a rare convergence of three titans: Hijikata, Hosoe, and Yokoo—bridging postwar performance, counterculture, and visual experimentation. A true museum-grade artifact of 20th-century Japanese art history.
Please refer to the imagery (both front and back) as this is the exact poster that is for sale.
It is over 18 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)!*
