Oil on canvas

40 × 31.5cm. 15 3/4 x 12 3/8 in.

Signed in English and dated on bottom right
PROVENANCE
Fuma Contemporary Tokyo Bunkyo Art, Tokyo
Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by FUMA Contemporary Tokyo｜BUNKYO ART, Tokyo

Worldly Passions
Key Hiraga’s Modern Ukiyo-e Paintings
In 1965, Key Hiraga won the National Young Artists Grand Prix and was invited to study in Paris. His lodging for quite some time was located in Pigalle, near Moulin Rouge and the rest of the famous red-light district and Parisian nightlife scene. It was while living in such an environment that Hiraga could observe people’s complex expressions, for which he used figurative modes to blend Japanese tradition with French culture and create vivid, modern versions of ukiyo-e. His mid and late-period works focus on conflicts related to sexuality, and they creatively blend pop art and traditional Japanese elements into single pieces that are often interpreted as vivid and humorous.
Humanity Narrated through Pop Art
In Pew Boy (Lot 749), Hiraga adopted pop elements and even inserted large text reading “PEW BOY” to provide sharp contrast with the below figure. Gender is not really specified here, but the contrasting form highlights how difficult it is for human beings to distance themselves from sexual desire. The nun represents sexual abstinence, but this work shows her sexual pose as well as expresses her desires through all the connotations brought by the words “PEW BOY”. In addition to embodying sexual desire, Hiraga tells us that the original desires of human beings cannot be concealed by symbols of modesty such as crosses and nuns. In his works from the seventies, the characters depicted often have three pairs of differently colored eyes: blue, sharp green, and yellow. As eyes can directly express people’s inner world, Hiraga uses them to express original desires. His superimposed eyes and disorganized limbs seem to represent the turmoil and confusion of people in the world of materialistic desires, and this provides a narrative on humanity in a complex maze of rationality and indulgence as well as modesty and promiscuity.
Life as a Game
In the 1980s, Hiraga returned to Japan, which is why his painting Still Life of Kabufuda (Lot 750) has more traditional Japanese elements. The artist used gold foil to create the background of this work, named after the Japanese Kabufuda card game, which here echoes the complex relationship between men and women and reflects attitudes towards the lives of the “players”. This work is more realistic and directly expresses the psychology of male and female sexual desires. The woman depicted has pulled down her bra and opened her legs, an open tease. In contrast, the man seems to be reserved, his suit and hat making him look more like a gentleman. He turns his back to the woman as if trying to reject temptation, yet his coveting eyes reveal his inner thoughts. From the onset of traditional ukiyo-e all the way to modern depictions of lust in film and television works, the sexual culture of Japan has always been without reservations, but Japanese men and women still have very different approaches when it comes to this subject. It is for that very reason that Hiraga’s works criticize human sexual desires in a witty and truly unforgettable way.

Price estimate:
HKD: 60,000 - 80,000
USD: 7,700 - 0,000

Auction Result:
HKD: 70,800