Fiberglass sculpture Edition: 18/20

27×18×16cm. 10 5/8 × 7 1/8 × 6 3/8 in.

Dated and numbered, signed in Japanese on the bottom

LITERATURE (different edition)
2011, Yoshitomo Nara: The Complete Works, vol. 1: Painting, Sculptures, Editions, Photographs 1984 - 2010, Bijutsu Publishing House, Tokyo, p.270
PROVENANCE
Museum of Contemporary Art Projects Council, Los Angeles
Acquired directly by previous collector from the above in 2003
Important Private Collection, Asia

A Traveler Stepping on the Dreams
The Time Machine of Yoshitomo Nara

Journalist: “Isn't Nara's artwork very expensive?”
Takashi Murakami: “Very expensive? Hah, it's actually not so. It is a ‘time machine', after all!”

The conversation above happened in an interview with the artist Murakami, in which the appreciation towards Yoshitomo Nara is shown between lines. Born in 1959 in Aomori, Japan, Nara got the name “Yoshitomo” from his parents which used to belong to his older sister that could not make it to be born alive and then was adopted by the younger boy. Ever since his childhood, Nara feels that there is a corner in his heart that is preserved for his sister. The sensitivity in his characteristics is later reflected into his creation of androgenous children in his paintings. The figures in his artwork usually keep features of both male and female genders, as well as a combination of shyness and rebellion, which is the reference of his own experience in life. Nara graduated from Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in 1993 and started living in Munich, Germany. Later, he left for UCLA, USA, to join the faculty until 1999 when he came back to Japan. It is also during this critical period of transformation that he created the sculpture series of “Little Pilgrim (Night Walking)”, which he used to establish his signature style that won him a high reputation afterwards. What is exhibited today is one of the classics that belong to this series.

The Artwork Marking the Critical Turning Point

The series of “Little Pilgrim”, also known as “Night Walking” was created as early as 1999. In the same year, this artwork was taken to be published in the joint exhibition in Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo. It also appeared in the exhibition in Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 2020. The idea of “Immersive Experience” was also raised in this exhibition. When being surrounded by the little night walkers that were walking on the land as well as on the walls, the audience were immediately dragged into the space of illusion and hence got aroused a tremendous consonance. The artwork is made of glass fibre mixed with acrylic, which is painted on top of cotton cloth and glued to the surface. In 2002, the artist upgraded his creation on the foundation of his previous work and created a single-coloured “Night Walking”, which is the artwork that is displayed here. The material, compared to the previous version, uses smooth glass fibre as the medium, getting rid of redundant colours and showing the audience its true nature.

The main character of “Little Pilgrim (Night Walking)” has the eyes closed with innocence on the face. In a long loose robe, he/she demonstrates the concept of “stepping forward with dreams” with his/her adorable posture. The colour, as dark as chocolate, resembles the mysterious atmosphere in the middle of a night. The reflection of the smooth face under light gives away with the closed eyes the reluctance of facing the world of adults directly. However, where his/her fingers point towards is the homeland of sweet memories.

A Journey with No Sound, a Trip with Dreamsg

In fact, in either Easter or Western culture, the idea of “pilgrimage” and “night-walking” are always contrary against each other. The definition of pilgrimage is a journey to look for a spiritual meaning, which believers following specific orders to pray. On the other hand, night-walking is done under unconsciousness, with people stopping their thoughts and wandering aimlessly. “Little Pilgrim (Night Walking)” is the vessel through which we can see the fantastic commonality between these two ideas. The figure closes his/her eyes, reaches out the hands, and dresses him/herself with a robe. It contains both the faith during a pilgrimage that is possessed by secular people who long for the spiritual consonance in the eternity; and he/she shuts down the connection to the outside world by closing the eyes – just like a sleepwalk --yet reaches out the arms for the uncertain reliance. This ritual that the figure practices is like a battle between the soul and the body. Underneath the adorable façade, Nara uses his artwork to demonstrate the anxiety, the escape from reality and the pursuit of utopia that belong to the modern society. With his art, the artist invites all the audience to participate in a soundless journey that they can travel with their eyes closed.

Price estimate:
HKD: 450,000 – 650,000
USD: 58,000 – 83,800

Auction Result:
HKD: 566,400