YOSHITOMO NARA (JAPAN, B. 1959)

Yoshitomo Nara's work represents a new wave Pop aesthetic in Japanese art that fundamentally challenges the tradition of figurative painting. His works, which largely feature whimsical depictions of children and animals, reflect his interest in European late-medieval and Renaissance drawing traditions as well as children's books. Both his sculptures and paintings speak to memories and emotions from our childhood that we may have forgot ten, but which, as Nara proves, still exist somewhere in the deep recesses of our subconscious. His works allow these memories to resurface, causing us to question perceived boundaries between the established ideas of childhood and adulthood in contemporary society.

Executed in 1999, Dogs from Your Childhood (Lot 117) features three large white dogs standing on wooden stilts in an unbroken circle surrounding a ceramic food bowl. Their stance, legs wide apart and heads slightly bowed, draws us in, inviting us to join them in a game of fetch; combined with their bright button noses and vivid green collars, the overall effect is a childlike rendition of "man's best friend." While the dogs appear playful, their scale is both intimidating and surreal. Through the combination of the sentimental and nonsensical, the work evokes the immediacy of children's feelings and exemplifies Nara's ability to create art that is deeply personal to the viewer.