Shin Sangokushi Japanese Kabuki Poster 1990s

Tadanori Yokoo made this Shin Sangokushi Kabuki poster, and the process is right there on the surface! Look at the layering of images, the combination of flat graphic elements with these wild textures, like that burning inferno to the right. The poster is not trying to hide the layering or the combination of collage and drawing. The Kabuki actors are painted with very stylized features, but then look at the textures in their costumes, these areas of flat color and abstract pattern, and the way Yokoo combines all these elements, it's an exercise in opposites. The surface of the poster pulses with a range of textures and imagery: it’s like a dream space where the visual language of pop art meets traditional Japanese imagery. Yokoo’s work reminds me of the psychedelic posters of the late 60s. It’s a reminder that art doesn't exist in a vacuum, but is always in conversation, borrowing, and transforming ideas across cultures and time. And just like a great Kabuki performance, this poster is a riot of color, emotion, and pure visual energy.