Born in Denmark 1955 · Established Finn Nygaard Inc. in 1979. Finn Nygaard has created posters, illustrations, graphic design and corporate identity programmes and color consulting for Danish and international companies. He has created more than 800 posters, many of which he has received awards for. He has had several one-man shows with his designs, illustrations, posters, murals …… Throughout his career, Finn Nygaard has been a prolific creator of posters and prints. The results have been featured in exhibitions worldwide, his posters and design projects have been shown in major galleries and museums all over the world, and he has taken part in the most important international poster exhibitions since the 80’s and has been member of many international juries. One-man shows, at ao.: Modern Art Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia, The Danish Poster Museum, Denmark, IdcN in Nagoya Japan “Visual Voice”, Galleri FinArte Nagoya Japan, National Museum in Poznan, Poland, Pallfy Palais in Bratislava, Slovakia, The Museum of Printing History in Houston Texas, Designmuseum Denmark (“Finn Nygaard With Friends”), Galleria Universidad Maristara, Querétaro Mexico, MUSEF, La Paz, Bolivia and Imam Ali Museum, Tehran, Iran. Several of his posters have found their way into permanent collections, ao.: The Merrill C. Berman Collection, New York – The Israel Museum, Jerusalem – Designmuseum Danmark, Copenhagen – Musée de la Publicité, Paris – St. Petersburg State Museum – Pecsi Gallery, Hungary – Lahti Poster Museum, Lahti Finland – National Museum Poznan, Poland. Finn Nygaard’s work has been the subject of numerous magazines, newspaper articles and books. Idea, Japan’s leading graphic art magazine – Graphis, USA – Print Magazine, USA – Novum, Germany – Who Is Who in Graphic Design – First Choice etc. From 1990 – 1995 he was partner of the Danish design group Eleven Danes and the European Designers Network EDEN. Finn Nygaard is a frequent guest lecturer to student and professional groups. He has given many poster workshops and lectures all over the world; a.o. Japan, China, Taiwan, India, Korea, the US, Mexico, Bolivia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He lives and has his studio and atelier at the Island of Mors in the Limfjord – northern part of Denmark. Finn Nygaard is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale, AGI. FinnNygaard.com · +45 21 630 630 · design (at) finnnygaard.com
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Exhibitions and collections
Upcoming – 2024
Jazz & kalligrafi · Poster exhibition · Kunstforeningen SAK, Svendborg.
June – August 2024
2024
Jazz & kalligrafi · Poster exhibition · Kunstforeningen Det Ny Kastet · Thisted, Denmark. January 13 – March 9 2024.
2021
Jazz on paper · Poster exhibition · Kunstridderne, 30 years anniversary · Ulstrup Slot, Denmark. September 4 – 5.
2020
Jazz on paper · Poster exhibition · Heltborg Museum, Denmark. October – November 2020.
2018
25 Anos, BICeBé · Bienal del Cartel Bolivia. November 2018.
2018
10th Anniversary, Bienal Internacional del Cartel en México. November 2018.
2018
The 3rd Shenzhen International Poster Festival ‘Hakka Impression’. Shenzhen, China. October 2018.
2018
The 28th Brno Poster Biennale. Brno, Czech Republic. May 2018.
2017
Lahti Poster Triennial, Lahti, Finland, June 2017.
2016
1st International Design Biennial. Wenzhou, China. December 2016.
2016
Beyond · International Poster Invitational Exhibition. Taipei, Taiwan. December 2016.
2016
We are all equal. Solo exhibition. Morsø Gymnasium. 75 anniversary. September/October 2016.
2016
Golden Bee · Moscow Global Biennale of Graphic Design. October 2016.
2015
“Posters and so on”, solo exhibition. MK61 – Morsø Kunstforening, Morsø Denmark. September – November 2015.
2015
Dansk Design Nu – Designmuseum Danmark.
2015
Plakater i Æglageret, Holbæk Danmark.
2015
Stage on Paper. Beijing. 2nd International Performing Arts Poster Design Exhibition. November 2015.
2015
Trnava Poster Triennial 2015 · Slovak Republic. 2015.
2015
Waldemar Swierzy “In Memoriam” Gallery of Graphic and Poster, Warsaw, Poland. 2015.
2015
The Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition (CIIPE). Colorado, USA. September 2015.
2015
Posters in tribute to John Carlos Darias the Museum ‘Estampa y del Diseño, Carlos Cruz-Diez’ Venezuela
2015
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka · The Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City. 2015.
2015
The 1st International Poster Festival of Shenzhen at Guan Shanyue Art Museum. 2015.
2015
Posters without borders “THE RIGHT TO DECIDE.” Institute for the Visual Arts in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. 2015.
2015
Silk Road Spirit-2015. The 1st WEST International Design Biennal · Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts China
2015
The Biennial of Poster Bolivia BICeBe, Disenadores Graficos Bolivia
2015
The 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 The Art Gallery at the University of Maryland
2015
CIPB · the 7th China International Poster Biennial
2015
Dalian International Graphic Design Biennale, China, 2015.
2014
Posters “Visa”, MK61 · Morsø Kunstforening, Morsø Denmark. November – December 2014.
13 BICM, Bienal Internacional del Cartal en México. October/November 2014.
Finn Nygaard Poster exhibition, Imam Ali Museum, Tehran Iran. May/June 2014.
Finn Nygaard Posters and Calligraphy, Galleri Pakhuset Krik, Thy Denmark. June – August 2014.
24th International Poster Biennale in Warsaw, June 2014.
Lahti Poster Triennial, Lahti, Finland, June 2014.
We are all equal. Poster exhibition. Centro Simón Patino, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, January/February 2014.
2013
We are all equal. Poster exhibition/solo exhibition. MUSEF. La Paz, Bolivia. November 2013.
We are all equal. Poster exhibition/solo exhibition. The Danish Poster Museum – Den Gamle By, Aarhus, Denmark, August – December 2012.
2012
We are all equal. Poster exhibition/solo exhibition. Galleria Universidad Maristara, Querétaro, Mexico, November 2012.
We are all equal. Poster exhibition/solo exhibition. TingSalene, Ebeltoft Kunstforening, Ebeltoft, Denmark, April 2012.
2011
The 18th Lahti International Poster Biennal, Lahti, Finland, June 2011.
2010
Jury’s exhibition: 22nd Warsaw International Poster Biennale 2010. June 3, 2010.
Verdensbilleder: Den globale plakat. Danish Museum of Art and Design, Copenhagen, Denmark. October 2 2009 – April 4 2010.
2009
Plakatens Verden · World of Posters. Danish Poster Museum / Den Gamle By, Aarhus, Denmark, October 31 2009 – March 2010.
6th Trnava Poster Triennial TPT 2009. Trnava, Slovakia.
Third International Graphic Biennial of The Islamic World, Saba Cultural & Artistic Institute, Tehran, Iran, October 25 2009.
The 17th Lahti International Poster Biennal, Lahti, Finland, June 2009.
2008
1st Chicago International Poster Biennial, Chicago, USA, July 15 – October 15 2008.
Hommage to the posters and their creators. 120 posters from 120 designers. August till December 2008 in México City and in Xalapa Veracruz.
Without Borders. Invitational poster exhibition at Casa del Cinema, Rome. July 21-23.
Finn Nygaard Jazz Posters at The Concert Hall Aarhus, Denmark, July 7-28.
20th International Poster Biennale in Warsaw, Poland, June 2008.
Finn Nygaard: Visual Voice at The Museum of Printing History, Houston Texas, USA, January 24 – April 10 2008.
2007
Visual Voice – Finn Nygaard, March till August 2007; Post & Tele Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hong Kong International Poster Triennial, Hong Kong Heritage Museum.
The 9th. Tehran International Poster Biennial 2007, Theran, Iran.
International Poster Competition of Chaumont 2007, Chaumont, France.
Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition, Colorado, USA.
The 16th Lahti International Poster Biennal, Lahti, Finland.
Musée des Arts Décoratifs; permanent poster collection, Paris, France.
2005/2006
“Fifty-Fifty – Finn Nygaard with Friends”, December 16, 2005 – February 5, 2006. The Danish Museum of Art & Design, Denmark.
20th International Poster Biennale in Warsaw, Poland.
Jury’s exhibition: The 15th. Lahti International Poster Biennal, Lahti, Finland.
2004
“Danish Posters – over the past 10 years”, DDD Gallery Osaka and Ginza Graphic Gallery Tokyo, Japan. Invitational exhibition, posters selected by DDC, Danish Design Centre; supported by The Royal Danish Embassy.
Hong Kong International Poster Triennial, Hong Kong Heritage Museum.
8th International Biennial of the Poster in Mexico.
Golden Bee 6, Moscow International Biennale of Graphic Design, Moscow, Russia.
5th Ogaki International Invitational Poster Exhibition, Ogaki Japan.
19th International Poster Biennale in Warsaw, Poland.
International Triennial of the Stage Poster – Sofia, Bulgaria.
2003
Finn Nygaard posters and design exhibition, National Museum in Poznan, Poland and Muzeum Historii Miasta Lodzi, Lodz, Poland.
The 14th. Lahti International Poster Biennal, Lahti, Finland.
Finn Nygaard poster exhibition, Pallfy Palais, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Trnava Poster Triennial 2003 (granted the ‘Masters Eye Award 2003’).
The 1st China International Poster Biennial, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China.
CIIPE, The Colorado 13th International Invitational Poster Exhibition, Colorado, USA.
2002
Visual Voice, Finn Nygaard exhibition, International Design Center Nagoya – IdcN, Nagoya Japan.
Nouveau Salon des Cent (Hommage á Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec): Trapholt Museum Kolding Denmark / Centre Pompidou in Paris / Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in Albi / Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam / De Beyerd Museum in Breda, The Netherlands / Mexico City, National Library / INDIA: Chandigarh, Bangalore, Goa, Trivandrum, Madras, Pondicherry, Calcutta, Bombay and Ahmedabad. Basel, Switzerland / Warsaw, Poland / Chaumont, France / Budapest, Hungary / Beyrouth, Lebanon / New York, Herb Lubalin Center, USA.
Pécsi Galéria, Invitational poster exhibition, Pécs Hungary.
The 7th International Biennal of Posters, Mexico.
Jury, teaching, workshops and lectures
2023
TISDC 2023 Taiwan. Member of the international jury.
2023
Type and Typography – cooperation: China and Denmark. Member of the international jury.
2021
BIPB. B.I. International Poster Art Biennale 2021 in South Korea. Member of the international jury >
2020
UNOVIS. Member of the international jury of the international poster contest, dedicated to the UNOVIS centenary. Celebration of the 100 year anniversary the foundation of the artists’ union UNOVIS (September 2020). Vitebsk People’s Art School. Belarus. February 2020.
2019
International Poster Biennale for Peace Nanjing (jury and speech), Nanjing China. November 14 to 18 2019.
2018
10×10 Shanghai Design. The World of Design Awards (speech). Shanghai, China. December 18 2018.
2018
Design Possibilities. 2018 Hangzhou International Design Conference (speech). Hangzhou, China. December 15 2018.
2018
The 2nd Wenzhou International Design Biennale (jury and speech). Wenzhou, China. December 13 2018.
2018
Guest professor of Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. Shanghai, China. December 2018.
2018
Guest professor of School of Design, Zhejiang University. Zhejiang, China. December 2018.
2018
PosterFestival, Budapest. Hungarian Poster Association. Budapest, Hungary. November 2018.
2018
Quemoy International Poster Award for Peace (Jury). Taipei, Taiwan. July 2018.
2018
Workshop and lecture. PATI · Paju Typographic Institute. Paju, Seoul, South Korea. April 30 – May 4 2018.
2018
The 11th China Embroidery Art Festival. SuZhou, China. April 18 2018.
2017
Jury member, poster category. TIGDA · Taiwan International Graphic Design Award. October 2017.
2016
Jury member + Poster workshop. 9th ISPC and Skopje Poster Festival. Skopje, Macedonia. November 20-30 2016.
2016
Lecture (as guest professor). 2016 International Chinese Design Seminar. Asia Colors. TungFang Design University. Kaohsiung, Taiwan. October 27-28 2016.
2015
The Power of Asian Design. Lecture and Finn Nygaard poster workshop. International Conference Hall. Taichung, Taiwan. December 5-8 2015.
2015
Stage on Paper. Beijing. 2nd International Performing Arts Poster Design Exhibition + Lecture. November 2015.
2015
Competition judge: Creative x Society. “Creativity not only changes our lives, it assumes social responsibility”. Organized by CDS Creative Salon of China with Associazione di Design Chinese e Italiano in Italy ADCI and DCB Design Exchange Center of Beijing + 15 regional design collectives around China. Autumn 2015.
2015
Embrace Design – Embrace The Future. Summer poster workshop and lectures. Xiamin University, Art College. Xiamen, Fujian, China, July 2015.
2015
China Italy International Design Week. “The Evolving Silk Road” design and poster competition. Firenze, Italy. January 2015.
The seven members of the international jury: Leonardo Sonnoli (Italy-AGI-Jury President), Finn Nygaard (Denmark-AGI), Erich Brechbühl (Switzerland-AGI), Sabina Oberholzer (Switzerland-AGI) & Renato Tagli (Switzerland), Peter Bankov (Russia) and Marco Innocenti (Italy).
2014
Workshop and lecture, Imam Ali Museum, May 2014, Tehran Iran.
Lecture, Isfahan Art University, May 2014, Tehran Iran.
Workshop and lecture, Designskolen Kolding, January 2014, Kolding Denmark.
2013
Juror and lecturer, BICeBé, Bienal del Cartel Bolivia, November 2013, La Paz Bolivia.
The international jury: Michal Batory, France; Alejandro Magallanes, México; Luba Lukova, USA; Finn Nygard, Denmark; Aleksandra Kot, Poland; Félix Beltrán, México/Cuba; Shino Suefusa, Japan; Michel Bouvet, France; Celeste Prieto, Paraguay; René Azcuy, México/Cuba; María Mercedes Salgado, Ecuador; Roberto Valcárcel, Bolivia; Renzo Borja, Bolivia.
2013
Lecture at Milli Reasürens Art Gallery, May 2013, Istanbul Turkey.
2012
Juror and lecturer, TISDC, Taiwan International Student Design Competitions “Transform”, November 2012, Taipei, Taiwan.
2012
Workshop and master class, 12th International Mexico Poster Biennial 2012. Querétaro, Mexico.
2011
Workshop, teaching and lecture, NTNU, National Taiwan Normal University, Dept. of Visual Design, July 2011, Taipei Taiwan.
2010
Jury, 22nd Warsaw International Poster Biennale 2010.
Jury, 11th International Mexico Poster Biennial 2010.
2009
Lecture at Emzin Institute of Creative production, Ljubljana, Slovenia, November 2009.
Lecture at Hongik University, Seoul, Korea, January 2009.
Lectures and workshop at Danmarks Designskole, Denmark, February 2009.
Lecture at TEKO, Danish design and business academy, Herning, Denmark, March 2009.
2008
Jury, TaMga Biennale 2008, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 2008.
Lectures and workshop at Danmarks Designskole, Denmark, November 2008.
Lecture and workshop at Aalborg University, Denmark, June 2008.
Lecture at TEKO, Danish design and business academy, Herning, Denmark, March 2008.
Lectures at University of Houston, Houston Texas, USA, January 2008.
Lectures at The Museum of Printing History, Houston Texas, USA, January 2008.
2007
Lectures, workshop and jury at Shantou University, Shantou China, November 2007.
Lectures at NID, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India, February 2007.
2000-2006
Jury, Lahti International Poster Biennial 2005, Lahti, Finland, 2005.
Lectures at The University JE Purkyè, Fakulta Designu, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic, 2005.
Lectures at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou China, 2005.
Lectures at The Central Academy of Fine Art & Design Beijing China 2001, 2004.
Lecture at Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bratislava, Slovakia 2003.
President of the Jury, Trnava Poster Triennial, Slovakia 2003.
Jury, Papyrus Award 2003, Denmark 2003.
Jury, VI Illustrations Triennale, Mikkeli, Finland 2002.
Lecture/symposium at Trapholt Museum, Kolding, Denmark 2002.
Lecture at IdcN, International Design Centre Nagoya, Japan 2002.
Jury, BG-fonden, Denmark, 2002.
Lectures at Designseminaret Hoejer, Denmark, 2002.
Jury, Esag Ecole, Paris, France 2001.
Lectures at Tianjin Academy of Fine Art Tianjin, China 2001.
Marsterclass on Danmarks Designskole – with Kari Piippo (Finland) “Kari Piippo & Finn Nygaard”, Denmark 2000.
Lectures at Den Grafiske Højskole (The Grphic Arts Institute DKK), Denmark 2000.
– 1999
Lectures at Central Academy of Fine Art and Design Beijing, China 1999.
Lectures at ART+DEX International Art and Design Expo in Shanghai, China 1999.
Lectures at Novodesign Lisabon, Portugal 1998. (venha ver e ouvir um homem do norte Finn Nygaard).
Lectures at Stockholm T.I.M. Skandinavia, Sweden 1998.
International jury for The Donside Graphic Design Awards London, UK 1997.
Logo-design jury in the Danish Agriculture and Fishing Ministry, Denmark 1997.
Marsterclass on Danmarks Designskole together with Shigeo Fukuda from Japan, 1996.
Jury, Danish Traffic safety Graphic Design, Denmark 1995.
BRS Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1994.
Jury, Theatre Poster competition Aarhus, Denmark 1994.
Graphic Design Jury, Aarets Guldkorn, Denmark 1991 and 1992.
Lectures and external examiner at Danmarks Designskole, Copenhagen, Denmark: 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000.
Lectures and external examiner at Designskolen Kolding, Kolding, Denmark: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2000.
Jury, Best Danish Books; Foreningen for Dansk Boghåndværk, Denmark: 1997, 1998, 1999.
Awards and grants · national and international
Gold winner, Graphis Poster Annual 2022, Music Cat./poster – Jazzhus Montmartre Copenhagen · tribute to Joe Lovano and Jazzhus Montmartre Copenhagen · tribute to Steve Gadd · Graphis, New York, USA.
Silver winner, Graphis Poster Annual 2022, Music Category. Poster – Jazzhus Montmartre Copenhagen · tribute to Paul Motian · Graphis, New York, USA.
Gold winner, Graphis Poster Annual, Music Category. Poster – Aarhus Jazz Festival 2019/Art Blakey Graphis, New York, USA. 2020.
First price, The Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition 2020. Poster: Art Blakey. Colorado, USA. 2020.
Silver winner, Cultural posters, Music Cat. Graphis, New York, USA. 2019.
Silver winner, Cultural, Social & Political Posters. Graphis, New York, USA. 2019.
Gold winner, Cultural posters. Graphis, New York, USA. 2019.
Silver Winner · Graphis Social & Political Protest Posters. Graphis, New York, USA. 2015.
Graphis Poster Annual, Gold Award, New York, USA, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018.
Gold winner, Graphis Poster Annual 2013, Category: Political posters. Posterseries We are alle equal (Martin Luther King, Bob Dylan, Mao Tzetung, Jimi Hendrix, Mickey Mouse, Charlie Rivel).
Graphis Master (from 2011), Graphis, New York, USA.
Honorable Mention, The 9th International Poster Biennial in Mexico, 2006.
Master’s Eye Award, Trnava, Slovakia, 2003.
ILMC Worldwide Award for Outside Posters, London, UK, 2001, 2002.
Papyrus Award, 2000, 2001, 2002.
Danish Design Award (DDC), Denmark, 2000.
The Donside Millenium Award, Best overall Gold, London, UK, 2000.
IG-award (Danish Design Award, DDC), Denmark, 1999.
Bronze, Bienal Internacional del Cartel en Mexico, Mexico, 1998.
The Donside Graphic Design Award, London, UK, 1995, 1997.
Statens Kunstfond / The Danish Arts Foundation:
Working grants in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015. Special grant/donation 2015: Exhibition in MK61, Morsø Kunstforening: Posters and so on (September 2015). Special grant/donation, poster project “NGO”, 2010. (selected organisation: IMS International Media Support · Poster “support free media”). 3-year working grant, 1997.