Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Private collection, Europe

EXHIBITED:

Be Happy, Galerie Humanité, Nagoya, October 12-30, 1993

Be Happy, Galerie Humanité, Tokyo, Japan, November 29 - December 18, 1993

ILLUSTRATED:

Be Happy, Galerie Humanité, Nagoya, 1993, color illustrated

In the Deepest Puddle, Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd.,Tokyo, 2006, color illustrated

Yoshitomo Nara: The Complete Works, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2011, color illustrated

"Monkey Baby Go-Go" displays many of the elements of Yoshitomo Nara's work which has brought him critical acclaim and a world-wide cult following. Nara often depicts small children with big heads and large eyes, which at first glance seem cute and benevolent, but as the viewer dwells on the child, they seem to be filled with angst and almost hatred, as their eyes reveal something uneasy.

Nara's artwork like many contemporary Japanese artists is influenced by the style of anime and manga. Having graduated from the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, he based himself in Tokyo, where he encountered a generation that has lost its way, wondering what its place in the world is, and as adults are bewildered and sociopathic. He spent five years in Germany studying at the Kunstakademie Dusseldorf from 1988 to 1993.

Returning to Japan in the early 1990s he was influenced by the Japanese Pop art movement or "Superflat" style as defined by Takashi Murakami. His figures are stylized in the manga form, however they are infused with great emotional power and impact. Using simple lines and empty backgrounds, Nara focuses our attention on his characters. Growing up, he was attracted to punk rock music, the outlet for an unhappy, disillusioned and aggravated youth.

"Monkey Baby Go-Go" depicts an apparently happy child, dancing with himself. The yellow background color is bright and warm and the child seems happy in himself. However, he is alone, and while seemingly independent, as we focus on his eyes we see a hardness that we don't expect in a child. It is this "aloneness" that so many Japanese suffered in Nara's generation, that he so powerfully depicts in this portrait. Children need to be surrounded by people, being loved and taken care of, and if these essential necessities are missing, the child's inner wellbeing suffers enormously.

The title "Monkey Baby" makes us smile when we first hear it, with its connotations of childish play, but for many of Japan's current generation their upbringing lacked the love and attention that human children need, and for many of them, including Nara, they may feel that they were treated as little more than non-human monkeys.

It is Nara's ability to portray so powerfully the inner turmoil of his generation that has brought him so many accolades and a huge worldwide following.