At first glance, the child looks comical and cute.
("Too Young to Die", Nara)
But the menacing glare and the burning cigarette tell a different story. The infant child, as cute, cuddly and adorable as she may seem, holds an expression of boredom, passivity, and unrest. The particular dullness of the colors, particularly the offset yellow, adds to the effect.
The stark expression contrasts with the simplicity of the work. The smooth lines, simples shapes, and lack of depth and detail that is inherent in most Japanese mangas and anime make this piece familiar and relevant with the manga style. The simplicity of her face also makes her relatable in some ways. The placement of her rather dominant figure to the left also gives a slight sense of off-balance. It confuses viewers at first glance because such styles are usually supposed to evoke utopian ideas of happy children in happy-land.
The artist, Nara Yoshimoto`s work share a common theme of irony displayed in the painting above. He is one of the leading pop artists from Japan famous for his depiction of children, dogs, and houses in paintings, sculptures and installations. His paintings of children depict the isolation, pubescent awkwardness, and general unrest felt amongst the youth today. Dogs remind us of the quiet submission that is also common amongst children. Houses evoke isolation, loneliness, and also the freedom of imagination that results from being alone. Nara molds the influences of simplistic manga that was popular in post-war Japan with his own style, allowing his work to be void of any details that may inhibit communication between the subject matter and the viewer. The images make the wide range of emotions expressed relatable to the general audience but also sympathizes and converses with the youth of today.
("Fuckin Politics", Nara)
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