K

Lonesomeness is a theme that permeates the oeuvre of Yoshitomo Nara. Perhaps this sentiment is linked to the artist's experience in Germany early in his career. Being in a foreign land, he was painfully sensitive to the issues of identity and other existential problems, and it inspired a profound sense of self-pity and melancholy within him. Such a realisation may not necessarily be a negative experience. It presents an opportunity for self-evaluation to reflect on the meaning of life. As demonstrated by the figure in an animal suit in K (Lot 102), he smiles with his eyes closed in front of a pale-white background. His expression of contentment tells the viewers that he has entered a realm of spiritual quietude. In terms of technique, it showcases Nara’s care-free brushwork and high contrast palette that he employed in the early 1990s. The facial features painted in black are dynamically modelled to highlight the sense of movement. The net-like texture in the adjacent area also directly contributes to the naturalism and improvised nature of the execution. Eyes, nostrils, and mouth are decisively completed with five strokes. Such minimal delineation demonstrates the essence of “showing more with less” in traditional Eastern art.