Caroline Geys Design Studio is honored to share the mural collaboration with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures for Hayao Miyazaki’s retrospective. The Academy Museum’s inaugural temporary exhibition, marks the first North American museum retrospective dedicated to the work of its namesake: the internationally celebrated artist and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.

Vanessa McKenzie, Exhibition Graphic Design Manager at the Academy Museum, conceptualized the design of the murals. Caroline and her team executed the projection and painting of the murals on each wall. 

Caroline’s team, Steven Gemmel and Nereida Villareal, assisted her on the title wall mural and Caroline painted the murals in the interior galleries: Creating Characters, Making Of, and Creating Worlds. The project totals 4,000 feet of large organic hand-painted shapes. 

This exhibition is curated by Jessica Niebel and Assistant Curator J. Raúl Guzmán and organized in collaboration with Japan’s Studio Ghibli which Miyazaki co-founded in 1985, Hayao Miyazaki features more than 300 objects, including original imageboards, character designs, storyboards, layouts, backgrounds, posters, and cels from Studio Ghibli’s archives—including pieces on public view outside of Japan for the first time.

The exhibition portrays the creative mind of an auteur and philosopher who for more than 50 years has expressed his ideas across a broad and imaginative filmography. From the heart-warming My Neighbor Totoro (1988) to the mystical, Academy Award ® -winning Spirited Away (2001) and beyond, the retrospective incorporates all of Miyazaki’s animated feature films into a series of immersive environments that offer a journey both educational and experiential.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking. 

Designed by Pritzker Prize—winning architect Renzo Piano, the Academy Museum’s seven floors feature exhibition spaces, education and special event spaces, a conservation studio, a café, and a museum store. In addition, the museum’s 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and 288-seat Ted Mann Theater will present a year-round calendar of screenings, film series, member programs, panel discussions, family programs, and symposia. 

Photography: Joshua White on behalf of the Academy Museum

"I have to thank Caroline for her impeccable talent with a paint brush and willingness to collaborate with a perfectionist like myself. She helped make my vision come to life in seven on-site murals for two different exhibitions. Hire Caroline for all your mural needs or literally anything. I’m sure she’d nail it. She’s also very good at doing cost breakdowns."

Vanessa McKenzie, Exhibition Graphic Design Manager | Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

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“Mega congrats to you for your masterful work!!!"

Doris Berger, Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs | Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

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“We loved working with you Caroline!!"

Shraddha Aryal, Vice President, Exhibition Design and Production