Films

Getting Into It: New Bohemia's Modern Twist

Short film about Japanese sign painter Shinya Nakahara and his journey to join New Bohemia Signs.

Better Letters

• 2 min read
Man looking through a window with photo taken from the outside. Above is part of a gilded letter K.
Shinya Nakahara after a window gilding project with New Bohemia Signs.

In 2019, I met Shinya Nakahara (aka Modern Twist Signs, @moderntwistsigns) at Tokyo Letterheads. He had a studio in the same building as the meet, and was one of the team working with Peter Liedberg (@letter_boy) to host the event.

Two people looking at a paper cup with red paint in it, with a table of sign painting paint tins in the background.
Shinya Nakahara (left) getting the paint flowing at Tokyo Letterheads. Photo: RIO.

In BLAG 02, Peter wrote a piece introducing the sign painting scene in Japan, and profiling some of the painters active across the country. This mentioned Shinya's relationship with New Bohemia Signs (@nbsigns), and that he was once again in San Francisco working there with Damon Styer.