Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Tomoyoshi Sakamoto’s Paintings of Tokyo Girls

There is nothing perfect about the pretty "Tokyo girls" that artist Tomoyoshi Sakamoto paints. Sweet with a twist of irony, his acrylic paintings are representative of Neo-Nihonga Japanese style. In one painting, girls play "dress up" in a scene that would look like any typical sleepover. As they apply their makeup, one horrifyingly ties strings to another's watery eyes.  Tears are a common characteristic of Sakamoto's subjects, as they inflict pain and humiliation upon themselves. Not all of his works are graphic, but more melancholy.

There is nothing perfect about the pretty “Tokyo girls” that artist Tomoyoshi Sakamoto paints. Sweet with a twist of irony, his acrylic paintings are representative of Neo-Nihonga Japanese style. In one painting, girls play “dress up” in a scene that would look like any typical sleepover. As they apply their makeup, one horrifyingly ties strings to another’s watery eyes. Tears are a common characteristic of Sakamoto’s subjects, as they inflict pain and humiliation upon themselves. Not all of his works are graphic, but more melancholy. A simpler scene portrays a girl smiling as she watches incense burn on a sweet cake. The picture is ironic because, instead of candles, there is incense in the cake which is used in Buddhist memorial services. This suggests something sinister.


“Three Wise Girls: See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil”

Sakamoto’s work is meant to be off-putting or uncomfortable to look at, but we look anyway. In a nonsexual way, Sakamoto builds a sort of sadomasochism between subject and viewer. As they endure misery, the viewer receives the image and can find pleasure in the aesthetic of the piece. Adding to this effect is the technique that is used. They are finely rendered, soft and youthful, with expressions that are cute and Manga-like. By making light of morbid subject matter, his imagery is almost comical. However, Sakamoto offers neither antipathy nor sympathy. Like his painting “Three Wise Girls: See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil,” he seems to turn a blind eye to impropriety.

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
They are "the girls behind the lace." This is how Okinawa based painter Mao Hamaguchi describes the young subjects of her romantic paintings. Her Gothic Art inspired images are painted in a soft and delicate style, where we find Contemporary aristocratic girls peeking through veils or shrouds and lace curtains. The symbol of lace is used throughout Hamaguchi's art. Lace is a sensual fabric, often associated with intimacy and pleasure, as well as wealth, once among a household's most prized possessions. Hamaguchi embraces all of its nuances, using them to emphasize the qualities of womanhood.
It's not manga. This is the starting point of a conversation that Yoshitomo Nara will host today about his debut solo exhibition in Hong Kong, "Life is Only One." The show opened last night at the Asia Society, named after Nara's painting "Life is Only One!", featuring a child holding a skull as he contemplates life. In a recent interview, Nara shared, "When I was a child, the word “life” itself, of course, was a foreign concept. After turning 50, however, and with the deaths of people close to me and with the recent earthquake, I started to think about life more realistically - the limits of life, and the importance of what one can accomplish during that time."
The characters in Yoskay Yamamoto's paintings are often portrayed submerged in water. With eyes half-closed and a serene expression on their faces, they seem at peace in the cool blue seas painted from the artist's dreams. The concept of being submerged, for Yamamoto, represents his place between cultures as a Japanese artist living in America. His ocean possesses a strong physical and emotional power because of this. It's waters contain new elements in his latest series of 12 paintings, debuting on Friday at the Honolulu Museum of Art's Contempo #ArtShop, curated by Giant Robot.
Hello Kitty mania has hit Los Angeles. On view in conjuction with Hello Kitty Con, which opened yesterday, is her "Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty" 40th anniversary exhibit at Japanese American National Museum (JANM). The show is curated by Christine Yano, author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, and Jamie Rivadeneira, founder of JapanLA. Attendees are led through a retrospective that highlights the history and development of Hello Kitty as a cultural icon, before they arrive to the art exhibition, a modern interpretation of this famous character.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List