Yuki Matsueda – No Smoking, 2017

In No Smoking, Yuki Matsueda subverts the visual authority of the familiar prohibition symbol by bringing its forbidden object—a cigarette—into literal, sculptural existence. A flat “No Smoking” sign becomes the stage for rebellion, as the stylized black cigarette from the icon ruptures the PET surface and extends outward into the real world.

By transforming a static visual warning into an interactive 3D confrontation, Matsueda playfully critiques the way signs enforce behaviour while simultaneously exploring the tension between image and object, control and freedom.

Conceptual Significance:

• Defiance of Instruction: The 3D cigarette breaks free from the symbolic red circle meant to suppress it—transforming passive instruction into visual irony.

• Symbol vs. Substance: The piece questions how much power a symbol holds when the thing it prohibits refuses to stay confined.

The protruding element is not merely humorous; it’s philosophically provocative, suggesting that suppression breeds rebellion—even in visual language.

Material Execution:

• Vacuum-formed PET resin is used to distort the surface, giving the appearance of plastic being stretched by the emerging object.

• Glossy thermoplastic renders the cigarette form in high contrast against the matte white and red background.

• The piece’s compact size (15 cm square) makes it feel intimate yet striking—like a miniature act of resistance.

Artist's Perspective:

Yuki Matsueda is renowned for his dimensional art experiments, where objects appear to “escape” from flat planes. No Smoking continues his mission to free symbols from their graphic prisons, turning functional signage into conceptual sculpture.