Chiharu Shiota
Japan Society · New York
Art Direction | Graphic Design | Editorial Design
Exhibition Graphics| Digital & Social
Chiharu Shiota: Two Home Countries is the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in New York, presented at Japan Society Gallery.
The exhibition explores themes of memory, identity, displacement and belonging through Shiota’s distinctive artistic language, creating a deeply personal dialogue between place, experience and connection.
Overview
Japan
Society
Japan Society is the premier organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, business, and society with audiences in New York and around the world.
CHIHARU
SHIOTA
Chiharu Shiota is a contemporary artist best known for her site-specific, ephemeral installations in which fragments of memory are woven within webs of yarn that consume entire exhibition spaces.
↓ RESEARCH & CREATIVE DIRECTION
The collaboration with Japan Society began with an in-depth research phase encompassing workshops, industry analysis and user research. Through direct engagement with the Senior Director of the Art Gallery and key gallery personnel, I gathered insights into the exhibition, its audience and communication needs.
↓ ART. MEMORY. CONNECTION.
The visual identity draws inspiration from the red threads central to Chiharu Shiota’s work, translating their interconnected and layered quality into a distinctive graphic language. A refined serif typeface with a traditional character was selected for the artist’s name, reflecting the expressive nature of her work, and paired with a clean sans serif for clarity and contemporary contrast.
A restrained palette of black, white and red creates a strong connection between the identity and Shiota’s installations, while photography and artwork remain central to the visual system. Layering, transparency and generous space further echo the spatial qualities of the exhibition.
The identity extends consistently across exhibition graphics, wall texts, object labels, interior and exterior banners, editorial design, website and social media, creating a cohesive visual experience across physical, print and digital touchpoints.
↓ SPACE. ART.
EXPERIENCE.
The identity extends into the gallery through wall graphics, exhibition texts, object labels, signage and environmental applications. Designed to coexist with Shiota’s immersive installations, the graphic system establishes clarity and hierarchy while allowing the artworks and spatial experience to remain the focus.
↓ EDITORIAL. ART. NARRATIVE.
The exhibition booklet translates the visual identity into a tactile editorial experience through clean typography, generous space and a carefully structured visual rhythm. Photography and artwork are given prominence throughout, while two transparent inserts introduce layers and depth inspired by the spatial character of Shiota’s installations.
↓ IDENTITY. DIGITAL. CONNECTED.
The visual identity extends across website and social media applications, translating the exhibition’s graphic language into a clear and consistent digital experience. Typography, imagery, colour and the red-thread motif connect the digital communication back to the physical exhibition while adapting naturally across different formats and screens.
Photo Credit:
Installation view of Chiharu Shiota: Two Home Countries at Japan Society Gallery, New York, 2025. Photo by Go Sugimoto.
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