The Prelude Exhibition of The First Shanghai Graphic Design Biennale – TopoPoster: International Poster Design Exhibition, after six months (June – December, 2025) of planning and preparation, was successfully held from December 13 to December 22, 2025. As one of the larger-scale exhibitions in recent years featuring an international selection of works in China, it showcased over 300 representative poster designs from 153 influential contemporary designers and studios active in the forefront of the field across 28 countries.
Yutaka Sato × Tadashi Ueda: Empty Walk / Short Piece
This exhibition marks the first show in China by Sato Yutaka and Ueda Tadashi. For the occasion, each artist designed a separate promotional poster. Designing a poster for one’s own exhibition may seem simple, but it is in fact quite challenging. The motif chosen for the poster is a “sandwich,” which also serves as the origin of the gallery’s name.
As suggested by the small text reading “不要混合的危险 (Do Not Mix – Danger),” the sandwich struggles to properly contain and support the violently scattered typography. Unable to hold it together, the blue plate beneath it cracks under the pressure. Echoing the instability of the sandwich and the plate, the overall composition intentionally embraces a slightly off-balance arrangement throughout. The exhibition, titled “烦恼彷徨／短篇小节”, was held from July 30 to September 30, 2025, at Sanduo Yiqi Art & Design Gallery in Luogang Park, Hefei, Anhui Province.
Tadashi Ueda
tadashi-ueda.com
@t_ueda_works
RED: 植田正 TADASHI UEDA