"Yoshitomo Nara: From the Depth of My Drawer"
2004-08-11 until 2004-10-11
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
Tokyo, , JP

Hara Museum of Contemporary Art is pleased to present an exhibition of works by Yoshitomo Nara. This exhibit features drawings, paintings, photographs, three-dimensional works and installations by Yoshitomo Nara, ranging from small, early pieces made in the 1980s to his latest works. Planned by the artist himself, the show marks the debut of a new permanent installation made by Nara for the Hara Museum.

“It seems to me it was from the beginning of the 1990s that I began to makeÅ@works that I felt were uniquely my own. Now, in 2004, looking back, I see myself and my artwork being polished through trial and error, for better or for worse. This is because of a narrowing in the direction of my work that took place, but one that could happen only through the abandonment of various possibilities. Recently, I find myself wondering if the possibilities that were abandoned might possibly have been the free person that I originally was. It might be a sign that I am presently stuck, but I had a desire to take a fresh look at the things that I did in the past, like opening a drawer that has not been opened for a long time and looking inside (at my past work). By facing this past, I feel l should be able to find hints as to what my future direction should be. This exhibition brings together the things that I did from the mid-80s when I began my career, up until recent years, including works containing those abandoned, half-hidden possibilities. In so doing, this exhibition provides a chance for me to take a new look at what I have become at this moment in time. What I will see will be myself, in the many forms that I have created over the years. I wonder what those forms that comprise my present self will have to say to those forms that are to become my future self.” --- Yoshitomo Nara

IMAGE
Yoshitomo Nara
"Do not disturb! " Girl with Signaling Flag

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