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01/07

Hayward Gallery, Yoshitomo Nara

Exhibition graphics for Yoshitomo Nara at the Hayward Gallery – the largest ever European retrospective of one of Japan’s most celebrated artists.

Celebrated across the globe for his powerful portraits with eyes that gaze back at the viewer, Nara explores themes of resistance, rebellion, isolation, freedom and spirituality.

This thematic exhibition, featuring more than 150 works in drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and ceramics, revealed enduring influences on the artist’s work, particularly nature and its mythology, the peace movement, the significance of home, and his interest in punk and rock music and popular culture.

Date
2025
Curator
Yung Ma
Assistant Curator
Katie Guggenheim
Curatorial Assistant
Charlotte dos Santos
Photography
Mark Blower
Copyright
Installation view of Yoshitomo Nara, courtesy the artist and the Hayward Gallery

A gallery wall with two framed artworks, one large painting of a cartoon-style girl in a red dress, and one small. A caption sits between the two.

A white wall panel with black text sits inset into a textured concrete wall in a gallery. An artwork with Japanese script sits above.

A detail shot of a caption with extended artwork information sits to the bottom right of a colourful framed artwork.

A wooden plinth sits centred in a gallery space, with two framed artworks on the wall behind. The plinth holds a white sculpture, and has a small caption printed to the corner.

An artwork sits framed on a sky blue gallery wall with a caption beside

An artwork of a cartoon-style child's head sits on a white wall, with a caption beside