Yoshitomo Nara creates a fairytale world that is at once both inviting and calming yet tense and mysterious. Classically trained in Germany and in Japan, the artist going on to merge and blend these seemingly disparate schools throughout his career, Nara forgoes an intellectual and philosophical approach to his art communicating emotion in the purest form. Pushing back at what he sees as “aloofness of high art” Nara’s commitment to engaging in accessible, mass-produced imagery and the repetition of his characters recalls Warhol’s repetition of brands and celebrities. 

The characters take on a new dimension for many viewers as they become the blank canvases themselves for us to project parts of ourselves onto. This strong bond that collectors feel towards the characters in Nara’s artworks, his deft and sensitive treatment of emotion, place and object (the artist's love of punk and rebellion appearing in guitars) invites introspection causing us to examine both ourselves and the scenes in front of us. Nara's characters are strong little personalities who are ready to rebel as we are presented with snapshots of their lives. The big-eyes girls, Napo, the Dog and Miss Margaret defy the adult world and reveal their opinions with the honesty that is unique to children

Nara's prints and paintings delve into the deepest parts of his soul, emerging through a painstaking process of layering and erasing color. Guided by painting theory, he pares his compositions down to their most sincere essence. In contrast, his drawings are raw and spontaneous, created on familiar materials like torn paper or used envelopes. These works reveal unfiltered emotions and thoughts. His three-dimensional sculptures, crafted in various media, breathe new life into familiar forms through a reflective engagement with materials. In recent years, Nara has also embraced photography, capturing the overlooked beauty of everyday landscapes and moments from his travels with a sense of quiet reverence.

Nara draws inspiration from numerous sources from past and contemporary culture. He has great respect for doga, a Japanese style of children’s book illustrations that appeals to an adult audience as well by providing social commentary and layered meaning for an adult viewer to unpack