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Yoshitomo Nara, born in 1959 in Hirosaki, Japan, has become one of the most influential artists to emerge from Japan in the recent years. Being brought up in post-World War II Japan had a profound impact on Nara's mindset, and consequently on his art as well. After the war had finished, Japan experienced a massive influx of Western pop culture which has continued, although probably to a slightly lesser extent, to this date. During his youth, Nara was extremely isolated in the countryside, and was often left alone with nothing to do except explore his imagination. As he grew up and became accustomed to city life, Nara became consumed by popular culture and its impact on youth society. Nara's work is mainly derived from the Japanese otaku culture, specifically referencing Japanese manga, American comics, television and the punk-rock music sub-culture popular in Tokyo. He obsessively paints faces over and over again, sometimes in just one sitting. His highly stylized cartoon-like portraits of children and animals at first glance superficially appear to be happy, kitschy, Disney-esque characters; but they simultaneously exude feelings of angst and rebellion reflecting a juxtaposition of the innocence of childhood versus the evil nature of humanity. Speaking about the myriad of characters which appear in Nara's work, Stephan Trescher notes that "There are specific behavioral patters that we immediately recognize even if we have never experienced them: There are the trained, conditioned children, who can hardly be distinguished from pets, dogs that are as spoiled as children, and boys and girls who are collected like trophies. There are children left alone who awaken our pity and those who reject our affection and rebel against the adult world, even if it is only by seething with rage and holding a toy knife in their hand" (S. Trescher, "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog", in Yoshitomo Nara: Lullaby Supermarket, Nuremberg 2002, p. 16). The following seven works by Nara date from the early stages of his career up until his more recent work, and represent a varied selection of the artist's styles and motifs. THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE DUTCH COLLECTOR

Yoshitomo Nara (b. 1959)

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Details

Yoshitomo Nara (b. 1959)
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signed and dated 'Nara 97' (lower right)
gouache, pastel and pencil on paper
27½ x 39 3/8in. (70 x 100cm.)
Executed in 1997

Provenance

Galerie van Dieten-d'Eendt, Amsterdam.
Acquired from the above by the present owner.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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