
"The Little Star Dweller" by Yoshitomo Nara
Japanese art wizard, Yoshitomo Nara, opened his new show at the Marianne Boesky Gallery this past Saturday night with a colorful cacophony that reverberated from the walls right into crowd (which included the wandering and seemingly undetected artist KAWS - thanks, CBS Sunday Morning). Viewing the artwork itself--a collection of new drawings on envelopes, large-scale paintings, and two massive tannenbaum sculptures that felt like they belonged in a more sophisticated Smurf village--meant that you had to tap and rub numerous shoulders for a glimpse. With vanishing buckets of beer, a trio of toddlers in tutus, and live music provided by DJ OORUTAICHI and the hyperkinetic Japanese girl duo M.A.G.O., the energy in the various rooms exploded with a kooky rainbow fantastic-ness. Here's hoping it's even more magically raucous at his solo exhibition at the Asia Society in 2010.
I've been a fan of Nara's since discovering his artwork on the cover of Shonen Knife's 1998 album Happy Hour. Mr. H and I trekked from Harajuku to Aoyama last year just to have a bite at the A to Z Cafe, a cozy Tokyo eatery Nara designed with graf media. While I've yet to come up with the funds to afford one of his tinier drawings, I ended up receiving something to hold on to for now directly from the man himself...

More from the gallery show:


DJ OORUTAICHI conjuring some digital magic:

A to Z Cafe...ah, deliciousness!

The "home" within a home at A to Z:

Milky green tea:

Cream cake:

Interior of A to Z's "home studio":
