Yoshitomo Nara Explained

Yoshitomo Nara
Birth Date:1959 12, df=yes
Birth Place:Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Nationality:Japanese
Alma Mater:Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany
Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, Nagakute Aichi, Japan
Field:sculpture, painting
Awards:Award for Artist, Nagoya, Japan, 1995
Notable Works:Knife Behind Back (2000), Sorry, couldn't draw left eye! (2003),
Straight Jacket (2000),
Sprout the Ambassador (2001)[1]

is a Japanese artist. He lives and works in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, though his artwork has been exhibited worldwide. Nara has had nearly 40 solo exhibitions since 1984.[2] His art work has been housed at the MoMA and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). His most well-known and repeated subjects are "big-headed girls" with piercing eyes, who one Nara scholar describes as having "childlike expressions [that] resonate with adult emotions, [their] embodiment of kawaii (cuteness) carries a dark humor, and any explicit cultural references are intertwined with personal memories."[3] [4]

Early life and education

Nara grew up in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, about 300 miles north of where he lives now in Tochigi Prefecture. His exposure to Western music on the American military radio station Far East Network in Honshu influenced his artistic imagination at an early age.[5] He would later provide cover art for bands including Shonen Knife, R.E.M., and Bloodthirsty Butchers. He received his B.F.A. (1985) and an M.F.A. (1987) from the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music. Between 1988 and 1993, Nara studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, in Germany.[6]

Artwork

"Nara first came to the fore of the art world during Japan's Pop art movement in the 1990s. The subject matter of his sculptures and paintings is deceptively simple: most works depict one seemingly innocuous subject (often pastel-hued children and animals drawn with confident, cartoonish lines) with little or no background. But these children, who appear at first to be cute and even vulnerable, sometimes brandish weapons like knives and saws. Their wide eyes often hold accusatory looks that could be sleepy-eyed irritation at being awoken from a nap—or that could be undiluted expressions of hate."[7]

Nara, however, does not see his weapon-wielding subjects as aggressors. "Look at them, they [the weapons] are so small, like toys. Do you think they could fight with those?" he says. "I don't think so. Rather, I kind of see the children among other, bigger, bad people all around them, who are holding bigger knives..."[8] Lauded by art critics, Nara's bizarrely intriguing works have gained him a cult following around the world.[7] Large original paintings regularly sell for millions of dollars.[9]

In June, 2005, Nara's artwork was featured in the album titled "Suspended Animation" by experimental band Fantômas. Other commercial products (including videos, books, magazines, catalogues and monographs) have been dedicated to Nara's work. Recently, a two-volume catalogue raisonné of all his sculptures, paintings, and drawings was completed.[10]

In 2010, the Asia Society showed Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody's Fool the first major New York exhibition of his work.[11] Other major retrospectives include: "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me", which toured Japan between 2001 and 2002; and "Yoshitomo Nara: Nothing Ever Happens," which traveled the United States from 2003 to 2005.[10] One of his exhibited works is now part of a window of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, England.

In 2019, Nara's installation art Not Everything but/ Green House (2009) was sold for a new record price of HK$40.12m (US$5.12m) at Poly Auction Hong Kong. However, this record only lasted for a few hours. Knife Behind Back (2000), a large-scale painting by Nara, just sold at Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale in Hong Kong for HK$195.7m (US$25m), nearly five times its record. The new record is also a milestone for Nara as he becomes the most expensive Japanese artist.[12] Can’t Wait ‘til the Night Comes was sold for HK$92.9m at the same year.

In April 2021, the painting Frog Girl was sold in Sotheby's Hong Kong Spring auction for US$12.5 million.[13]

Influences

Though Nara claims to have never said that he was influenced by manga, the imagery of manga and anime of his 1960s childhood is often cited when discussing Nara's stylized, large-eyed figures.[14] [15] Nara subverts these images, however, by infusing his works with horror-like imagery. This juxtaposition of human evil with the innocent child may be a reaction to Japan's rigid social conventions.

Nara cites his musical education as a foundational influence for his art. The punk rock music of Nara's youth has also influenced his work.[16]

Nara's upbringing in post-World War II Japan profoundly affected his mindset and, subsequently, his artwork as well. He grew up in a time when Japan was experiencing an inundation of Western pop culture; comic books, Warner Bros and Walt Disney animation, and Western rock music are just a few examples.[17] Additionally, Nara was raised in the isolated countryside as a latchkey child of working-class parents, so he was often left alone with little to do but explore his young imagination. The fiercely independent subjects that populate so much of his artwork may be a reaction to Nara's own largely independent childhood.[18]

Recent work

Nara exhibited work in New York at the Pace Gallery in May–April 2017. It was his first exhibition in New York since 2013. Entitled Thinker, the pieces exhibited represent a shift towards a more meditative body of work.[19] Of this shift, Nara said, "In the past I would have an image that I wanted to create, and I would just do it. I would just get it finished. Now I take my time and work slowly and build up all these layers to find the best way. Just like you cook so that you know it’s going to be the most delicious, you find a way to make your art the best it can be."[20]

In July 2017, The Toyota Municipal Museum of Art held a career retrospective of the artist's work, called for better or worse.[21]

A retrospective of his work, including 100 pieces from 36 years, is being exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2020.[22]

Selected exhibitions

Selected publications

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Holzwarth. Hans W.. 100 Contemporary Artists A-Z. 2009. Taschen. Köln. 978-3-8365-1490-3. 410–412. Taschen's 25th anniversary special.
  2. Web site: San Jose Museum of Art. 28 January 2014. 2009-12-23. 2014-02-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20140202140752/http://www.sjmusart.org/content/yoshitomo-nara-nothing-ever-happens. live.
  3. Book: Yoshitomo Nara. Koon, Yeewan. Phaidon. 2020. 6. 2022-08-03. 2022-06-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20220618232040/https://www.phaidon.com/store/art/yoshitomo-nara-9780714879949/. live.
  4. Web site: The Artist Behind the Camera: Yoshitomo Nara. Koon, Yeewan. Once in a Life – Encounters with Nara. Asia Society. 7 January 2020. 2016.
  5. Web site: Marino. Nick. July 24, 2020. Yoshitomo Nara Paints What He Hears. New York Times. July 24, 2020. July 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200724213104/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/t-magazine/yoshitomo-nara.html. live.
  6. Web site: Yoshitomo Nara biography. 12 April 2013. 1 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150701120439/http://www.artrepublic.com/biographies/242-yoshitomo-nara.html. live.
  7. Web site: NARA. 12 April 2013. 27 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130127021800/http://www.galeriemax.com/a-nara-84.html. live.
  8. http://www.assemblylanguage.com/reviews/Nara.html Yoshitomo Nara
  9. Web site: Phillips's $48.8 Million Sale Sets Two Records. 15 October 2015. artnet News. 10 January 2018. 10 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174419/https://news.artnet.com/market/philips-auction-report-340374. live.
  10. Web site: Artist Profile: Yoshitomo Nara. 2013-04-12. 2012-06-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20120607042207/http://www.conceptioart.com/artists/yoshitomo-nara.html. live.
  11. St.-Lascaux. David. Hey, Ho, Let's Go: YOSHITOMO NARA at the Asia Society. The Brooklyn Rail. October 2010. 2012-05-04. 2013-03-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20130314174540/http://www.brooklynrail.org/2010/10/artseen/hey-ho-lets-go-yoshitomo-nara-at-the-asia-society. live.
  12. Web site: Yoshitomo Nara Becomes Most Expensive Japanese Artist as His "Knife Behind Back" Sells for Record-Smashing HK$195m Auctions News THE VALUE Art News. 2020-06-16. TheValue.com. en-US. 2020-06-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20200615093038/https://en.thevalue.com/articles/nara-yoshitomo-kaws-contemporary-art-sothebys-hk. live.
  13. Web site: Yoshitomo Nara Frog Girl . Sotheby's . 2022-04-16 . 2022-04-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220416081812/https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/contemporary-art-evening-sale/yoshitomo-nara-nai-liang-mei-zhi-frog-girl-qing-wa . live .
  14. Web site: Yoshitomo Nara . 12 April 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130619212238/http://sweatyfrog.com/nara.html . June 19, 2013 .
  15. Book: Chambers, Kristin. http://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000097994. Nara, Yoshitomo. Oxford Art Online. Grove Art Online. 2018. 10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T097994. 978-1-884446-05-4.
  16. Web site: Chiu. Melissa. Yoshitomo Nara. 2013-05-12. 2013-05-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20130513124028/http://sites.asiasociety.org/yoshitomonara/. live.
  17. Web site: Chambers. Kristin. Yoshitomo Nara. Oxford University Press. 12 April 2013. 5 May 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130505212435/http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=25523. live.
  18. Web site: Mizota. Sharon. Little Triggers. 12 April 2013. 17 March 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130317184302/http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/07.21.04/nara-0430.html. live.
  19. Web site: Pace Gallery - Yoshitomo Nara: Thinker. Pace Gallery. 17 February 2018. 18 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090324/https://www.pacegallery.com/exhibitions/12861/thinker. live.
  20. Web site: 'I Was Really Unthinking Before': Yoshitomo Nara on His Recent Work and His Show at Pace Gallery in New York. Ayers. Robert. 14 April 2017. Art News. 17 February 2018. 18 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180218024141/http://www.artnews.com/2017/04/14/i-was-really-unthinking-before-yoshitomo-nara-on-his-recent-work-and-his-show-at-pace-gallery-in-new-york/. live.
  21. Web site: Yoshitomo Nara for better or worse Works:1987-2017. 2017. Toyota Municipal Museum of Modern Art. 17 February 2018. 27 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180327031706/http://www.museum.toyota.aichi.jp/exhibition/2017/special/narayoshitomo.html. live.
  22. News: Marino. Nick. 2020-07-24. Yoshitomo Nara Paints What He Hears. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-07-26. 0362-4331. 2020-07-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20200725225824/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/t-magazine/yoshitomo-nara.html. live.
  23. Web site: Yoshitomo Nara Guggenheim Museum Bilbao . 2024-08-07 . www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus . en.
  24. Web site: Yoshitomo Nara. All My Little Words . 2023-05-24 . The ALBERTINA Museum Vienna . en . 2023-10-18 . https://archive.today/20231018034416/https://www.albertina.at/en/albertina-modern/exhibitions/yoshitomo-nara/ . live .
  25. News: Pace Gallery - "Ceramic Works and..." - Yoshitomo Nara. Pace Gallery. 2018-04-12. 2018-04-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413125424/https://www.pacegallery.com/exhibitions/12921/ceramic-works-and. live.
  26. Web site: Kaikai Kiki Gallery - Drawings : 1988~2018 Last 30 years Yoshitomo Nara. Kaikai Kiki Gallery. 17 February 2018. 18 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180218024609/http://en.gallery-kaikaikiki.com/. live.
  27. Web site: Blum and Poe - Yoshitomo Nara. Blum and Poe. 17 February 2018. 18 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180218024153/https://www.blumandpoe.com/artists/yoshitomo-nara. live.

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