In the latter part of the 1900s, Samiro further broadened the possibilities of textile dyeing for use in other media — panel and glass paintings, prints, picture book illustrations, book covers, and three-dimensional sculptures. Examples are advertisements he executed for KAIUNDO from 1980 to 2003. They combine caricature-like drawings and Japanese characters. Additionally, the “Original illustration for picture book Be Not Defeated By the Rain” (2016) drawings imbue cheerful and childlike expressions.

Samiro Yunoki, Left: Original art for KAIUNDO advertisement, c. 1998, KAIUNDO / Right: Original art for KAIUNDO advertisement. c. 2000, KAIUNDO

A section on the artist’s travels documents his experiences and discoveries in Nagano, Iwate, Okayama, Shizuoka, Shimane, and countries outside Japan. These include India, France, and the U.S. He specifically explored craft forms and local cultures that inspired his choices of colors and images. Displays of watercolor, colored pencil, and pastel works, prints, collages, book designs, textiles, ceramics, glass paintings, and  decorative tiles fill the master’s world of curiosity and dynamism.

Samiro Yunoki, Blackwell (Windermere), 2023, Private collection

Until his final year at 101 years old, Samiro never stopped producing artworks. Some of his last works include collages and paintings from 2021, such as “Blackwell (Windermere)” (2023) and “DEAN & DELUCA Café” (2021), a wonderful collage depicting food and kitchen utensils in a chromatic composition. He grew connected even with the younger generation, exhibiting in cafés and hotels. His masterpieces encouraged freedom of expression that uplifted people’s sentiments during hard times. 

Samiro Yunoki, Original art for DEAN & DELUCA Café, 2021, DEAN & DELUCA

Sadly, having passed away last year, Samiro will always remain a treasured source of energy, spirit, and light who incessantly saw brightness and essence in all facets of living. He remarked, “Every day is a new today, and cherishing and accumulating these experiences will lead to a good life.” (English translation, “Yunoki Samiro: The Eternal Now,” Tokyo Opera City Gallery).

Yunoki Samiro: The Eternal Now
Date: October 24th – December 21st, 2025
Open Hours: 11:00 – 19:00（Last admission at 18:30)
Closed on Mondays (except public holidays, November 24th) and November 25th
Place: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
Address: 3-20-2 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81 (0)50 5541 8600 (Hello Dial)
https://www.operacity.jp