Acrylic on canvas

116.7 x 91 cm. 46 × 35 7/8 in.

Titled in Japanese, signed in English, numbered and dated on the reverse

LITERATURE
2021, Maki Hosokawa Art Works 2021, Gallery Cellar, Tokyo, p.17
EXHIBITED
25 Jan – 10 Feb 2022, Maki Hosokawa, Gallery Cellar, Tokyo

PROVENANCE
Gallery Cellar, Tokyo
Private Collection, Asia

A Life of Sparkle Has No Limits
Maki Hosokawa's Girl of Variety

In the summer of 2023, the hit film Barbie once again raised the topic of “women's power” and called for breaking down gender barriers in the workplace, which resonated with us. As the 21st century witnesses the further awakening of women's consciousness, more and more women are taking the plunge, and one of them is the post-80s Japanese artist Maki Hosokawa. She uses the minimalist lines of Japanese cartooning and flat colours to create her iconic “girls with big eyes”, who are drawn in the scenes of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, or Kouki Tsuchiza's The Tale of Genji, to bring forth a whole new imagination. In 2004, at the age of 24, she won the Bronze Prize as a newcomer at GENSAI organised by Takashi Murakami. In recent years, she has held solo exhibitions in Tokyo and Seoul, and has become a favourite among collectors. Her works are also collected by the important New York collector Pigozzi. 2021, Maki Hosokawa created a series of works featuring “big-eyed girls”, citing Pop Art master Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, of which Campbell's Girl's Mate Soup is one of the most iconic.

The bright orange soup can appears in the centre of the work, with white clouds floating above it, and the logo on the can is painted in clashing blue colours. The background of the soup can is divided into polka dot squares, showing eight girls who are best friends. They can be schoolgirls, ballet dancers, florists, waitresses, violinists, policewomen, doctors, scientists with bangs, etc. They are like Barbie with multiple identities, demonstrating the infinite possibilities of female power and making a name for themselves in various fields. In the centre of the can is a scene of a blonde girl and a kitten washing up and sleeping peacefully, with the words “Girl's mate balanced good” written in English, suggesting that the protagonist has the ability to balance her work and private time, and to achieve all-round development. The names of the women are written in red on the canisters, like an artist's own hall of fame, inscribing the unique women of everyday life as priceless treasures of the self.

Price estimate:
HKD 180,000 – 250,000
USD 23,100 – 32,100

Auction Result:
HKD: 216,000