Once in a Life: Encounters with Nara

Yoshitomo Nara is recognized as one of the most influential artists of the day. His works are very accessible, so much so that at times we do not look hard enough because we feel we understand them already. But how much do we really know about his angry, yet cute looking little girls? How is it that we all feel we recognize the emotions being portrayed? What makes his art so relevant to such a wide range of viewers?

Following from Asia Society Hong Kong Center's preceding exhibition, Life is Only One: Yoshitomo Nara, this publication is not only a compilation of the works in the exhibition, but also an extension with the inclusion of other works and essays that present the artist and his art from his life experiences and memories. Extra thoughts into his inspirations are offered by looking at his childhood, his time in Germany, his love for music, and the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake. Like small pieces of a puzzle, they piece together little-known stories about the artist and above all his thoughts on life.

Dominique Chan is the head of gallery and exhibition of Asia Society Hong Kong Center and responsible for the public art installations and exhibitions in the Chantal Miller Gallery. Chan has organized a diverse range of exhibitions to Hong Kong including Transforming Minds: Buddhism in Art (2012), Light before Dawn: Unofficial Chinese Art 1974–1985 (2013), Guggenheim's No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia (2013), Light and Shadows: Caravaggio―The Italian Baroque Master (2013–2014), It Begins with Metamorphosis: Xu Bing (2014), Temple, Scrolls, and Divine Messengers: Archaeology of the Land of Israel in Roman Times (2014–2015) and Life is Only One: Yoshitomo Nara (2015). Chan is the recipient of the 2013/14 Hong Kong International Scholarships supported by the Government of Hong Kong through the Hong Kong Arts Development Council to join the Clore Leadership Program in the United Kingdom and seconded at Tate Modern in London.

Fumio Nanjo is director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and involved in the selection committees of several art awards and artist-in-residence programs. A renowned curator with over 20 years arts experience, he has worked in significant roles at numerous biennales worldwide including commissioner of the Taipei Biennale (1998); jury member of the Turner Prize at the Tate Gallery, London (1998); selection committee member of the Sydney Biennale (2000); jury member of the Golden Lion Prize, Venice Biennale (2005); and artistic director of the Singapore Biennale (2006).