YOSHITOMO NARA (B. 1959)

Perhaps no other artist in the contemporary art world features more children as subject matter than Yoshitomo Nara. In the last 20 years, we witness the constant evolution of Nara's children. This transformation is not limited to technique, character modelling, or other formal visual expressions. More importantly, it is a reflection of the artist's emotional growth and attitudinal changes. Direct, quick, and cathartic in his youth; pensive, introspective, and nuanced in recent years — the only thing that remains unchanged is the richness of emotions expressed in the child in the painting.

Rope Skipping was painted during the period when Nara was working in Germany. By using simple and direct lines to model the character, it incorporates the naive tone of children's book, the flatness in character modelling in traditional Japanese painting, as well as the improvisation quality in Western modern art — the influence from Neo-Expressionism is unmistakable. The overall pictorial treatment is muted in the use of colours yet layered. Visually, it exudes a warmth that is and familiar and amiable. The carefree expression on the child's face as she skips rope will most likely evoke fond memories of childhood from the adults in the audience. To most of the grown-ups, this perfect fairytale is probably a faded vignette buried deep in their memories.