Acrylic on canvas

100 × 80.3 cm. 39 3/8 × 31 5/8 in.

Titled, dated and signed in Japanese and English on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Fuma Contemporary Tokyo Bunkyo Art, Tokyo
Private Collection, Asia

Note: A label of Fuma Contemporary Tokyo Bunkyo Art, Tokyo is affixed on the reverse

Song of Freedom to Melt Away Loneliness
Unicorn Girl by Kohei Yamada

Born in 1990 and graduated from Hiroshima City University College of Art in 2016, Kohei Yamada specialises in using art history classics as references in his paintings to express his own opinions and interests. The protagonists of his paintings, which are rich in elemental codes, are his "girls with big eyes". They are as if travelling through the multiverse, with a colourful and fantastical style. Yamada has exhibited in Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, etc. In August 2023, he was invited by the renowned brand Converse to design crossover apparel, and in January 2024, he was selected as a "Sold Out Artist" by Japan's Art Collector's magazine due to the difficulty in finding a single copy of his work in the gallery. My Only Desire Is...(Red ver.) features a dreamy unicorn girl, incorporating imagery and references to the beast from Western classical art, and showcasing Yamada's pursuit of freedom.

The Desire to Break the Confinement

The protagonist has unicorn ears and a sharp horn. Her pure blue pupils face the viewer directly, symbolising the purity of the beast and seemingly reaching out to the heart. Her hair changes from a dreamy silver-purple at the top to fluorescent colours at the ends, giving off an incredible iridescent glow. She wears a modern purple hoodie and a jacket made of blue leaves intertwined with countless delicate silver and blue brushstrokes. In the centre of the hoodie is a stunning reproduction of Gustave Moreau's famous painting The Unicorn, which shows a unicorn playing with a beautiful young girl in a forest, full of mystical colours. The background of the painting is inspired by the floral texture designed by William Morris, a 19th century British textile designer. Orange branches combine with soft yellow stamens and blue leaves echoing the girl's coat to form a gorgeous red forest, with a great deal of detail.

The inspiration for the work's name comes from the 15th century European tapestry À mon seul désir, in which a noble woman is surrounded by extravagant wealth. She quietly removes a large amount of her jewellery and hands it to her maid, demonstrating her rejection of the world's constraints and temptations. On the other hand, the unicorn girl here is confined by a circle of fences, just like the unicorn in the tapestry The Unicorn Rests in a Garden,but she stares steadfastly at the world outside the fences, demonstrating her desire to break out of her cage and run towards freedom, which gives us a sense of hope and determination, and also speaks of Yamada's observation of the reality of society.

Price estimate:
HKD: 75,000 – 120,000
USD: 9,600 - 15,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 105,600