Recently in Hong Kong, Perrotin Gallery opened a solo show from Mr. entitled People misunderstand me and the contents of my paintings. They just think they are nostalgic, cute, and look like Japanese anime. That may be true, but really, I paint daily in order to escape the devil that haunts my soul. The said devil also resides in my blood, and I cannot escape from it no matter how I wish. So I paint in resignation. On view from the Japanese artist are a series of new paintings (including some with shaped canvases), drawings, and sculpture featuring his renderings of anime-inspired prepubescent boys and girls. The works range from “kawaii” (cute) to the “kowai” (scary, dark) which in a sense are his cathartic way (as references by the extremely descriptive and long title of the show) to escape demons of the past in which he was raised in a troubled home setting.
Photos courtesy of ©︎2011-2018 Mr./Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved & the gallery.
Discuss Mr. here.
