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.

福笑い Lucky laugh

In Japan, there is a traditional New Year’s game called **Fukuwarai**. Players place facial features such as the eyes, nose, and mouth onto the outline of a face while blindfolded, and everyone laughs together at the humorous result. Although it is a traditional Japanese game, it is rarely played in modern households, and I personally have no memory of ever playing it.

In January 2023, an event titled “Fukuwarai Lucky Laugh” was held at Shibuya Parco by the calligraphy collective “Kakizome Nakama.” “Kakizome” (the first calligraphy writing of the year) was also held at the venue, filling the space with a festive New Year atmosphere. This poster was created to promote the event. Just as each face created through Fukuwarai turns out differently every time, the poster was produced in ten variations in total: five vertical designs and five horizontal designs.

Tadashi Ueda

tadashi-ueda.com

@t_ueda_works

RED: 植田正 TADASHI UEDA