Azabudai Hills Artist Introduction｜Yoshitomo Nara

Yoshitomo Nara “Miss Forest in Tokyo”, 2023 This creation, a forest spirit with its antennae stretched high into the sky but with its eyes closed, seems to be either communicating with the universe or praying for peace in the natural world. This conical shape reaching toward the sky is the eighth work in the "Forest Child" series, which includes works permanently displayed in Aomori, Nasu-shiobara, Los Angeles and other locations since 2016. It began with "Miss Tannen" in 2012, which represented a resumption of creative activities following the tragedy of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. This is Nara's first outdoor sculpture to be permanently installed in Tokyo. The original clay sculpture was cast in bronze and coated with urethane paint, leaving vivid finger marks on the surface that graphically convey the artist's physicality and emotions. The series, which embodies memories, sensitivities and intuitions etched deep within the artist's mind, speaks to the depths of our hearts through layers of Nara's own conflicts, wishes for world peace, and hopes.