Yusuke Toda YUM POM Flying the Sky For Sale
Yusuke Toda
YUM POM Flying the Sky, 2025
Mixed media on canvas
31 1/2 x 31 1/2 in 80 x 80 cm
About this work
Yusuke Toda's "YUM POM Flying the Sky" captures the boundless wonder that has become synonymous with the Japanese artist's beloved cast of characters. In this vibrant mixed media work on canvas, Yum and Pom take center stage as they soar through an expansive dreamscape, their rounded forms suspended against sweeping passages of color that evoke both celestial atmosphere and childlike imagination. Toda renders his signature figures with characteristic softness—their simple, emotionally expressive features radiating pure delight as they navigate the open air together. The composition balances dynamic movement with a sense of serene weightlessness, as if the laws of physics have gently yielded to the logic of play. Toda's mixed media approach adds tactile richness to the surface, layering painted passages with varied materials that create subtle depth and visual intrigue upon closer inspection. The palette moves fluidly between warm and cool tones, suggesting the shifting light of an endless afternoon sky where anything feels possible. Within Toda's broader practice, "YUM POM Flying the Sky" exemplifies his commitment to creating spaces of genuine joy and emotional refuge. His work consistently invites viewers to reconnect with states of wonder often associated with childhood, yet the sophistication of his technique and compositional choices speaks to adult sensibilities seeking authentic moments of levity. The friendship between Yum and Pom becomes a gentle meditation on companionship and shared adventure, universal themes rendered with distinctive tenderness. For inquiries about acquiring this work, please contact Guy Hepner gallery in New York.
Price on Application
Edition & Provenance
- Year
- 2025
- Medium
- Mixed media on canvas

More from this series

Yusuke Toda
Mew on Yum
2023

Yusuke Toda
Mr Yum Watching Flowers
2023

Yusuke Toda
Mr Yum With Palm Tree
2023

Yusuke Toda
Painter Yum
2023

Yusuke Toda
Rin in the Flower
2023

Yusuke Toda
The Romance of Yum and Rin
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum And Chair 1
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum And Chair 2
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Friends
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Friends 2
2023

Yusuke Toda
YUM and Kaminarimon Gate
2025

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Many Friends
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Moon
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Old Friends
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Painter Pom
2023

Yusuke Toda
YUM and Plane
2025

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Rin Dancing Under the Moonlight
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Rin in Socks
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum And Rin On Street
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Rin's Night Drive
2023

Yusuke Toda
YUM and Shiba Inu
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM and The Great Wave off Kanagawa
2025

Yusuke Toda
Yum and Tiny Sun
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum at Art Library
2023

Yusuke Toda
YUM at Guggenheim
2025

Yusuke Toda
Yum at Painter's Room
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum Meets Friends
2024

Yusuke Toda
YUM meets POM under the Starry Sky
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM MEW on the shooting star.
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM MEW with Sunflower
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM on the Rocket with Super POM
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM POM and Mt. Fuji
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM POM Dancing on the Mashmallow Sofa
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM POM in the Clouds
2023

Yusuke Toda
YUM POM on the Hanging Chair
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM POM with Adorable Balloons
2025

Yusuke Toda
Yum Pom with Felt Hat
2023

Yusuke Toda
YUM RIN on the Car
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM RIN on the Marshmallow Sofa
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM YUM Flowers
2025

Yusuke Toda
YUM, MEW, POM on the Ship
2025

Yusuke Toda
Yum, Rin, Bow, Pom
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum's Home
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum's Morning
2023

Yusuke Toda
Yum's Night Flight
2023
Related Reading
About the Paintings Series
Yusuke Toda Paintings
Enchanting Worlds of Wonder: The Imaginative Universe of Yusuke Toda
Guy Hepner is pleased to present an exceptional collection of paintings by Yusuke Toda, one of Japan's most captivating contemporary artists whose whimsical figurative works have garnered international acclaim. Toda's distinctive artistic vision centers on a cast of endearing characters—Yum, Mew, Pom, and their charming companions—who inhabit dreamlike scenarios that radiate pure joy, innocence, and boundless imagination. Each canvas serves as a portal into a universe where playfulness reigns supreme and the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary.
The Artist's Vision
Yusuke Toda has established himself as a singular voice in contemporary Japanese art, developing a visual language that bridges the rich traditions of Japanese kawaii culture with sophisticated fine art sensibilities. His paintings possess an immediate accessibility that draws viewers in, yet reveal deeper layers of technical mastery and emotional resonance upon closer examination. Toda's work speaks to the universal human desire to preserve wonder, to find refuge in imagination, and to celebrate the simple pleasures of companionship and play.
The artist's distinctive style is characterized by soft, luminous color palettes, meticulous attention to detail, and compositions that balance whimsy with formal elegance. His figures—rendered with tender care and gentle humor—exist in spaces that feel simultaneously familiar and fantastical. Whether depicting his characters floating through starlit skies, lounging on impossible furniture, or exploring beloved landmarks, Toda creates scenes that invite prolonged contemplation and repeated discovery.
Yum, Mew, Pom, and Friends: A Cast of Characters
At the heart of Toda's artistic universe are his beloved characters, each possessing distinct personalities that shine through in every appearance. Yum, the central figure in many compositions, embodies curiosity and gentle adventure. Mew and Pom serve as faithful companions, their interactions with Yum creating narratives of friendship, exploration, and shared delight. Additional characters, including the charming Shiba Inu and Rin, expand this universe with their own unique qualities, creating a rich ensemble that populates Toda's imaginative landscapes.
These characters transcend mere illustration to become genuine artistic subjects, rendered with the same care and intentionality that masters have applied to portraiture throughout art history. Toda imbues each figure with emotional depth, creating connections between viewer and subject that feel authentic and meaningful. The relationships depicted—characters riding upon one another in Mew on Yum, gathering together in Yum Meets Friends, or dancing joyfully in YUM POM Dancing on the Marshmallow Sofa—speak to fundamental human experiences of connection, play, and belonging.
Exploring the Collection
The paintings available through Guy Hepner demonstrate the remarkable range of Toda's creative imagination while maintaining the cohesive visual identity that defines his oeuvre. Yum's Home offers an intimate glimpse into the domestic realm of these characters, while Yum's Night Flight transports viewers into nocturnal adventures filled with magic and possibility. The juxtaposition between interior comfort and exterior exploration runs throughout the collection, suggesting themes of security and adventure, home and journey.
Works such as YUM POM with Adorable Balloons and YUM POM on the Hanging Chair showcase Toda's ability to transform simple objects—balloons, furniture—into elements of wonder and delight. The marshmallow sofa in *YUM POM Dancing on the Marshmallow

About Yusuke Toda
Yusuke Toda is a Tokyo based painter who studied oil painting at Tama University before working as an assistant to Takashi Murakami, and later to painter Tomokazu Matsuyama, experiences that shaped his technical approach and expressive style.
Toda's work centers on a recurring character, YUM, a monochromatic figure whose world is defined by black and white settings punctuated with bursts of color. Through YUM, Toda explores universal emotional territory, joy, nostalgia, loneliness, and connection, using a deceptively simple visual language to carry more complex feeling underneath. His process begins with hand-drawn sketches, allowing spontaneous ideas to guide the composition before he builds up bold outlines and layered color.
Drawing on Japanese manga, street culture, and the pop lineage established by artists like Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, Toda has developed a distinct visual world that also reflects the energy of Tokyo itself, its motion, neon, and layered cultural identity. His paintings function as a kind of parallel universe, blending humor and tenderness while inviting viewers to reconnect with a more imaginative, unguarded way of seeing.
Toda has held numerous sold-out exhibitions across Tokyo, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, and made his American debut with a solo show at Morton Contemporary.
Guy Hepner works with collectors seeking Yusuke Toda's playful, emotionally resonant paintings centered on his character YUM. Contact us to discuss available inventory or to inquire about upcoming releases.
