At first glance, the colourful artworks appear to be cartoon drawings. But a closer examination reveals that they are serious paintings by a young generation of Japanese visual artists.
Painting for Joy: New Japanese Painting in 1990s is an exhibition featuring 55 works by nine leading Japanese painters, including Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara and Taro Chiezo. They combine western art techniques with pop culture references and traditional art forms to create a unique and joyful style of painting.
The paintings have a distinct Japanese flavour, with simple compositions and vibrant colours. They also contain symbolic images that will instantly appeal to young audiences.
For instance, Imaginary Mountain by Chiezo, a pop artist known for using comic icons in his work. The painting features a mountain that - at first glance - looks like Batman, or a robot.
Connie Lam, Hong Kong Arts Centre programme director, said the style reflects the artists' upbringing. Most of them are in their 30s, so their coming-of-age coincided with Japan's rapid economic growth and the emergence of subcultures - such as comics and animation - after the second world war.
'It was a good period to live in, a time without crisis,' said Lam.
But it was also a time when the nation was still recovering from the shock of the 1945 nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.