YOSHITOMO NARA    (1962)

Born in Japan in 1959, Yoshitomo Nara is best known for his cartoonish paintings of sweet but at the same time sullen children and animals. Studying Art both in Japan and Germany, Nara has consistently drawn inspiration
from eastern and western sources.
Nara’s childhood in post-war Japan – a time of increased exposure to Western pop culture such as comic books, Disney animation and popular music – is often cited as an early influence of Nara’s work.
His work often juxtaposes seemingly innocent representations of children or animals with sinister expressions or objects like knives or weapons
Nara’s work are part of several museums’ collections, among others the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the National Museum of Art in Osaka, Japan.