One of the most influential and internationally renowned artists working today. Best known for his images of devilishly cute and Sometimes menacing animals and children, Nara's work relates not only to Japanese kawaii (cute) popular culture, but also reflects the sensibilities of youth subcultures worldwide with their focus on alienation and rebellion. Yoshitomo Nara assembles twenty years worth of paintings, sculptures, photographs and drawings that map Nara's artistic evolution. The book and exhibition will make connections between Nara's work and Rock and Punk music, which have been both the inspiration and subject of many of his works. It will also include artworks from the artist's collection that have never before been exhibited, along with ephemera and playlists that have been selected by the artist to accompany the viewing of this artwork. Text contributions come from many of Nara's previous collaborators, including noted art critic Matsui Midori, curators Melissa Chiu and Miwako Tezuka, associate editor of ArtForum Michael Wilson, musician Ira Kaplan from Yo La Tengo, and design collective director Hideki Toyoshima.
