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kyoto ddd gallery the 248th Exhibition FELIX BELTRAN CONNECTIONS —LA HAVANA NEW YORK OSAKA MEXICO MADRID KYOTO—

August 29, 2025 - October 29, 2025

Poster design: Sonia Díaz & Gabriel Martínez with Nicole Schmid
Poster design: Sonia Díaz & Gabriel Martínez with Nicole Schmid
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This is a contribution to the history of graphic design from an Ibero-American perspective. Félix Beltrán's importance stems from his vital and cultural connections. Born in Cuba, he is a tireless traveler with a multitude of influences: local Caribbean culture, Bauhaus Constructivism, Isotype, American Modernism, the Swiss School, Objective Photography, Concrete Art, Minimalism, and Pop Art. His work is a testament to his time, both politically and socially, and culturally. Thus, after 17 years of research, the exhibition reviews the relationships between publishing and curating, books and exhibitions as interconnected practices that construct new narratives for 20th-century graphic design culture through the iconic images created by the designer and diverse ephemeral printed material that will shed new light on a key figure in understanding the importance of Ibero-American design, whose powerful creations project a highly impactful political or social message.
Sonia Díaz / Gabriel Martínez (curators of the exhibition)


Profile of Félix Beltrán
Félix Juan Alberto Beltrán Concepción (Havana, Cuba, 1938–Mexico, 2022) was the most intellectual Ibero-American designer of his time. He studied at the renowned School of Visual Arts, the Graphic Art Center-Pratt Institute, and the Art Students League of New York. He shaped a conceptual approach to graphic design, influenced by Bauhaus constructivism, Swiss School, and American modernism, which emphasized simplicity as a fundamental principle of effective visual communication.
 
Profile of Sonia Díaz / Gabriel Martínez (curators of the exhibition)
They are authors, editors, researchers, and curators specializing in graphic design. Sonia Díaz holds a degree in Fine Arts (USAL), Advertising (UCM), and Journalism (C3U), and a master's degree in Museography and Exhibitions (UCM). Gabriel Martínez has studied Philosophy, Sociology and Design, and holds a PhD in Fine Arts (USAL). They teach at Artediez, the school of public art and design in Madrid. They are the authors of 20 books.

Opening party

August 29, 2025(FRI) 17:30-19:00
Venue: kyoto ddd gallery
Entrance free

Gallery Talk

Date: August 29 (FRI), 16:00-17:30pm
Participants: Sonia Díaz / Gabriel Martínez (curators of the exhibition)
Venue: kyoto ddd gallery
Admission Free, Reservation required, Capacity 25 people
Consecutive interpretation from Spanish to Japanese

※Booking starts on the website below from August 1 at 15:00.
https://dnpfcp.jp/CGI/gallery/event/form_e.cgi?eventid=265

Organizer

DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion

Cooperation

Teresa Camacho
Ninohe-shi Civic Center

Planning | Space Design | Graphic Design

Sonia Díaz / Gabriel Martínez

Japanese layouts

Nicole Schmid

Dates

August 29 (FRI)– October 29 (WED), 2025
Hours: 11:00 - 19:00 (18:00 on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays)

The gallery will be closed on the following days during the exhibition.

September 1 (MON)
September 8 (MON)
September 9 (TUE)
September 16 (TUE)
September 22 (MON)
September 24 (WED)
September 29 (MON)
October 6 (MON)
October 14 (TUE)
October 20 (MON)
October 27 (MON)

Venue

kyoto ddd gallery
3F COCON KARASUMA, 620 Suiginya-cho, Karasuma-dori Shijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City 600 8411, Japan
Tel: 075-585-5370 Fax: 075-585-5369

Access

A short walk from the Shijo Karasuma City Bus stop, Shijo Station on the Subway Karasuma Line (exit 2), and Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line (exits 23 and 25).
Free entrance. No parking.