Pencil and coloured pencil on paper

26.5 x 20 cm. 10 3/8 x 7 7/8 in.

LITERATURE
2011, Yoshitomo Nara: The Complete Works, Volume 2: Works on Paper, Bijutsu Publishing House, Tokyo, p.183
2014, The World According to Nara, Sotheby's S2 Gallery, Hong Kong, p.48-49

EXHIBITED
2 Jun – 12 Sep 2002, Who snatched the babies?, Centre National de l'estampe et de l'art imprimé, Paris
12 Sep 2003 – 4 Jan 2004, Yoshitomo Nara: Nothing Ever Happen, Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland
24 Jan – 4 Apr 2004, Yoshitomo Nara: Nothing Ever Happen, University of Pennsylvania Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
3 Dec 2004 – 26 Feb2005, Yoshitomo Nara: Nothing Ever Happen, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Missouri
25 Mar – 22 May 2005, Yoshitomo Nara: Nothing Ever Happen, Contemporary Museum Honolulu, Honolulu

PROVENANCE
Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York
Private Collection, U.S.A

Longing for Peace and Searching for Answers
Who Snatched the Babies
by Yoshitomo Nara
When he was a child, Nara Yoshitomo spent his days at home looking at picture books while listening to music or scribbling. To him, drawing was a way of immersing himself in his imaginary world and interrogating the self. As an adult studying in Germany, Nara would document his inspiration on whatever bits of paper he could get his hands on, such as envelopes, stationary, and notebook paper. A considerable percentage of Nara's works were created on paper. These works faithfully represent his inner world at different points throughout his career. In the artist's own words, “These creations are my version of a personal journal. Every day, I document the things that move me. This makes my daily life more meaningful.” From this citation, one can appreciate the importance of paper doodles within the spectrum of Nara's work.
Who Snatched the Babies was completed from 2001 to 2002. Nara spent a lot of this time travelling, as he had received an invitation from Foli magazine to take part in a photographic project in Afghanistan on the theme of “No War” for their first issue. Afghanistan had been embroiled in political instability for 20 years before then and was ravaged by a number of civil and international wars. In 2002, just one year after 9/11, the United States launched the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan, causing even more damage to this already vulnerable nation. During his month-long trip in Afghanistan, Nara visited a number of refugee camps and personally experienced the fears and despairs of local residents. However, he was most moved by their optimism and kind-heartedness in spite of their dire circumstances. In addition to taking photos, Nara also continued to draw on whatever stationary he could find during his stay in Afghanistan. On one such drawing, viewers can see a child with wings similar to a little angel standing on a balcony underneath a magnificent night sky. His head is inclined, and his clear blue eyes are staring at the ground. The words that leave his mouth transform into plumes of smoke as he speaks. It is almost as though he is trying to voice doubts about human existence and tell people of the things he still hopes for them to have and attain. The drawing effectively conveys Nara's feelings at that time about the innocent children whose futures were threatened by war.

Price estimate:
HKD: 320,000 - 420,000
USD: 40,800 - 53,500

Auction Result:
HKD : --