Fracture: Japanese Graphic Design 1875–1975

Fracture: Japanese Graphic Design 1875–1975 brings over a century of visual culture to life through a rare collection of printed matter, textiles, and design ephemera. Curated by designer, educator, and critic Ian Lynam, the exhibition is an immersive, archival deep-dive into the history of Japanese graphic design—from its early roots in the graphic arts to the dawn of the digital era.

Presented as a physical extension of Lynam’s recently published book of the same name, Fracture transforms the gallery into an “exploded book”—complete with rare objects, oversized spreads, and historic materials that explore themes of modernity, imperialism, gender, commercialism, and identity. The exhibition sheds light on how design in Japan evolved after the country reopened to the West, offering a nuanced view of the forces that shaped its visual language.

Visitors can expect to encounter artifacts over 100 years old, from Art Deco kimono textiles to Japan’s earliest commercial art publications. Also on display: the official design guidelines from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, pioneering feminist zines, and some of the first mass-distributed LGBTQ+ magazines in Japan. Large-format, multicolor posters by celebrated designers like Yokoo Tadanori hang alongside equally striking works by anonymous creators—reflecting the often uncredited nature of graphic design practice.

Lynam, who moved to Japan two decades ago, began the project after recognizing a critical gap in design literature: no book, in any language, had fully captured the scope and richness of Japanese graphic design history. The resulting publication, 15 years in the making, serves as both textbook and visual archive. The exhibition offers a chance to engage with the work firsthand—up close, layered, and in context.

Further information here.