"TADANORI YOKOO - Clear Light November 1974", Japanese Contemporary Art Poster, Original Offset 1974, Ultra Rare, Size (c.69 x 103cm)
This is an original Japanese offset poster printed in 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 offset lithograph was issued as part of Tadanori Yokoo’s legendary Clear Light portfolio published by Tokyo Planning in 1974. Printed in a limited edition of only 5,000 copies – the example offered here is hand-numbered 2846/5000 on the verso – each plate is considered one of the most spiritually and visually arresting works from Yokoo’s early-1970s period. Extremely difficult to locate in any state, especially complete and unbacked, the series embodies the psychedelic-mystic visual language that made Yokoo 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 – an individual who dedicated decades to assembling pristine examples of Yokoo’s vibrant designs.
Image & Iconography
This composition places three robed figures (Dante, Virgil, and Beatrice drawn from Gustave Doré’s engravings) on a rocky promontory awash in mystic radiance. A column of esoteric symbols descends from the upper left: a red-and-white spiral mandala, a six-pointed star encircling a black disc, a fiery lotus enclosing a meditating figure, and an emerald triangle with a crimson blossom. Each emblem references Tantric chakras and alchemical geometry, guiding the viewer’s gaze down toward the illuminated travellers who contemplate a white burst of transcendental light. The entire tableau is framed by Yokoo’s sumptuous red-and-gold brocade border and faux-Persian calligraphy panels, evoking sacred manuscripts and oriental carpets.
Printing & Technique
Produced via offset lithography to capture Yokoo’s trademark hyper-saturated palette and micro-line halftones, the sheet reveals fine parallel colour bands that shimmer under raking light. The floral border, printed in metallic bronze, emulates woven brocade, achieving an illusion of textile within the print medium.
Historical Context
Clear Light was created shortly after Yokoo’s immersion in transcendental meditation and extensive travel through India and the Middle East. The series merges spiritual inquiry with pop-era experimentation, synthesising Eastern mysticism, Persian miniatures, and Western religious imagery into a unified graphic language. Issued only once in 1974 as a boxed portfolio of thirteen plates, individual sheets from the set – particularly those clean and unmounted – are highly coveted.
Condition
• Clean, unmounted, unbacked sheet with strong colour fidelity.
• Corners sharp; no tears, holes, or tape stains.
• Only the faintest handling crease visible under angled light – exceptional for a 50-year-old print.
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.
