Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara ‘a control freak’ but he ‘gave me complete freedom’, says author of book on his career
- When Yeewan Koon first met Yoshitomo Nara, they compared who had eaten the strangest food. Nara won, showing Koon some weird pictures of sea cucumbers
- Koon says Nara can be quite goofy, but he has a serious side you get to know through his art, with its ‘strong sense of empathy and vulnerability’
Yeewan Koon is associate professor and chair of the Fine Arts Department at the University of Hong Kong. Her latest book, Yoshitomo Nara, is published by Phaidon this month.
Can you say a little about how you got to know Nara and came to work on this project?
After that, when I was in Japan or New York, he would invite me to view art with him. We went to the Whitney Museum (in Manhattan, New York) and he recognised all art works. As an art historian, his knowledge of art really impressed me. He can be quite goofy, but also has a serious side. I got to know that serious side through his art.
His studio asked me if I’d write a book on him. I was surprised no one had written a substantial book that addressed his artistic development over the years. I didn’t say yes until I felt I’d got to know him well enough that I knew he trusted me.
Nara is known for being a private person. Can you describe your working relationship?
He basically left me alone and gave me complete freedom to do what I wanted. Coming from Nara that was rare because, like me, he’s a control freak. When we met, he would challenge me to ask him harder questions. He’s a very loyal person and the people around him are loyal to him. He has an incredible memory and remembers every act of kindness.
How did Nara’s childhood and upbringing impact his work?
When he went to Germany to study, his mother told him he’d had a sister before he was born, but that she’d died in childbirth. His mum gave him a girl’s name, Nara.
I think this goes some way towards explaining the strong sense of empathy and vulnerability that runs through his work.
If you really want to know Nara, you just have to look at his art – it’s all there because that’s how he communicates.
Nara is best-known for his complicated kawaii girls. What is kawaii and how does Nara use it?
Q: What was the strangest thing you did in researching this book?
Nara is a big music person. It’s the world that he’s close to and he hangs out with a lot of musicians. He identifies with musicians and relates to how they have crafted their careers more so than those in the art world.
He’s a huge fan of the poppy punk band Shonen Knife. He will lock himself in his studio, play his music loudly and paint. I listened to a lot of Japanese punk when I was working on the book to better understand his creative process.
