nagaya paper lab is pleased to present “YUBIN / A Record of Postal Delivery in Tokyo,” an exhibition by Bruno Quinquet.
“YUBIN,” a long-term project by Quinquet, looks at the city of Tokyo through the perspective of postal delivery workers as he walks through each of the city’s 23 wards.
Mailboxes scattered throughout the city, building entrances, and the boundaries between public and private space—when we look at these usually overlooked elements through this particular perspective, Tokyo begins to appear a little differently.
“YUBIN” is not simply a photographic project. It has also developed through postcard books, fine art prints, and mail art, incorporating the postal system itself as part of the work.
nagaya paper lab has already been carrying Quinquet’s publication YUBIN selection. As a place devoted to books and printed matter, and to the ways they travel from one person to another, nagaya feels a natural connection to “YUBIN,” a project that incorporates the postal system itself as part of the work.
This exhibition will focus in particular on photographs taken in Sumida City, where nagaya is located.
To see the landscapes of Sumida as observed by Quinquet, within the very neighborhood where they were photographed.
We hope the exhibition will offer an opportunity to look again at familiar streets from a slightly different point of view.
YUBIN / Tokyo Postal Delivery Archive
In Tokyo, postal workers on their delivery rounds are first-hand witnesses to the ever-changing urban and social fabric. Observing the city from their unique perspective suddenly reveals to us a network of letterboxes of every kind, sometimes matching, sometimes contrasting with the age and style of the building, and located on the blurry edges of public and private space.
Born from a desire to renew my vision of the city, the ongoing project YUBIN is being published as a series of postcard books in box sets, each edition focusing on one of Tokyo's 23 central wards. The postcard format is a poetic and conceptual invitation to let these images travel through the postal system. The limited edition sets also include a small archival-quality triptych depicting postal delivery scenes, along with an extra postcard inviting readers to take part in a mail art project titled “YUBIN round-trip.”
The exhibition will focus on photographs taken in Sumida Ward. The publication “YUBIN selection”, featuring a selection from the now sold-out limited-edition volumes, will be available for purchase, while other publications by the artist will also be on display.
statement: Bruno Quinquet
Bruno Quinquet
Bruno Quinquet took up photography in Tokyo in 2006 and then studied at Tokyo Visual Arts Academy. After graduating, he obtained an artist visa and has since published his work under the name Bureau d’Etudes Japonaises. His contemplative vision of the metropolis is rooted in a French aesthetic sensibility and enriched by two decades of life in Japan. His publications range from documentary style street photography to autofiction, taking the form of artist books, mail art, business agendas and online photo novels.
Bruno Quinquet Photo Exhibition "YUBIN / Tokyo Postal Delivery Archive"
Dates｜September 19 (Sat) – October 12 (Mon, National Holiday), 2026
Venue｜nagaya paper lab
3-13-6 Kyojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-0046
Opening Hours｜Wed–Fri 10:00–13:30 / Sat, Sun & National Holidays 13:00–19:00
Closed｜Mondays & Tuesdays
※ Closed September 22 (Tue) and 23 (Wed, National Holiday)
※ Open 13:00–19:00 on October 12 (Mon, National Holiday) for the final day of the exhibition
OPENING TALK
September 19 (Sat), 16:00–17:30
Bruno Quinquet will join us to talk about his ongoing project “YUBIN.”
Admission｜Free
※ One drink order required.
SPECIAL EVENT
Walking with Bruno Quinquet: “Seeing the City Through a Postal Worker’s Eyes — YUBIN FIELD WALK”
October 3 (Sat), 14:00–15:00
Join Bruno Quinquet for a walk around the neighborhood surrounding nagaya, observing the city through the perspective of a postal delivery worker.
Over the course of this approximately one-hour field walk through Kyojima, we will pay attention to mailboxes, buildings, the boundaries between public and private space, and other details of the city that we might normally overlook—all elements closely connected to the “YUBIN” project.
Participation Fee｜¥1,500
※ One drink order required.
Registration｜
Please register by paying the participation fee through the link, or sign up in person at nagaya paper lab.
REGISTRATION LINK