Upcoming exhibitions

The Museum for Architectural Drawing is devoting the first comprehensive exhibition outside Japan to Nizo Yamamoto’s (1953–2023) artistic work. Yamamoto is considered one of the most influential art directors in Japanese animated film. For more than four decades, he created visual worlds that have left a lasting mark on the visual memory of the genre.

In Japan, Yamamoto’s work has long enjoyed great recognition. Internationally, however, his name remains far less well known than the films in whose creation he played a key role. Through his work on Castle in the Sky (1986), Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), his imagery is familiar to audiences worldwide.

With Nizo Yamamoto – Master of Anime Scenography, the Museum of Architectural Drawing builds on its previous exhibitions on background art in Japanese animated films: in 2016, Anime Architecture showcased the urban spaces of major science-fiction anime such as Patlabor (1989), Ghost in the Shell (1995), and Ghost in the Shell 2 – Innocence (2004); in 2022, AKIRA – The Architecture of Neo Tokyo presented the original background art from the groundbreaking film AKIRA (1988) for the first time worldwide.

In close collaboration with Takao Yamamoto and Kobe Shimbun.
With the generous support of Nippon Animation, TMS, Studio Ghibli, Shinchosha, Studio Chizu and TOHO.

Curated by Stefan Riekeles, Riekeles Gallery, www.riekeles.com
Design: Annika Paetsch, www.annikapaetsch.de

The exhibition is accompanied by the publication "Art for Animation: Nizo Yamamoto", Riekeles Gallery, Potsdam 2026.

Image: Nizo Yamamoto, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Railroad Crossing © 2006 TOKIKAKE Film Partners

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