Yoshitomo Nara Brings Decades of Artistic Journey to Life in New Aomori Exhibit

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, October 15, 2023

Yoshitomo Nara, a contemporary artist originally from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, unveiled to the press on Friday his solo exhibit “Yoshitomo Nara: The Beginning Place,” at the Aomori Museum of Art. This marks his second solo exhibition at the museum in about a decade. The exhibit was opened to the public on Saturday.

The title “The Beginning Place” refers to new starting points created by encounters with the artworks. The venue features some 200 works, including paintings, ceramics, and photographs. The exhibited works span more than 40 years of Nara’s artistic career, and include never before displayed paintings from the 1970s of the Tsugaru region in winter, as well as 25 new pieces produced since 2022.

The exhibit is organized into five thematic sections, such as “House,” “Journey” and “No War.” The “Layers of Time and Space” section includes a new work depicting a tearful girl. In “The Small Community of Rock Cafe ‘33 1/3’” section, a defunct Hirosaki coffee shop that Nara frequented in high school has been recreated.

During a press conference, Nara said the museum felt “like home” and expressed joy at showcasing works that represent his starting point in the place where he grew up. The exhibit will run until Feb. 25.