Acrylic on canvas

65.2 × 53 cm. 25 5/8 × 20 7/8 in.

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

LITERATURE
2019, Maki Hosokawa, Gallery Cellar, Tokyo, p.49
EXHIBITED
16 – 22 May 2018, Maki Hosokawa-Kira Kira Cyber World, Matsuzakaya Art Gallery, Nagoya

PROVENANCE
18 Mar 2021, Mallet Auction Tokyo Spring Auction, Lot 215
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Chase Dreams Like a Steed, No Regrets in Youth's Breeze
Modern Fairy Tales by Maki Hosokawa

"In all my works, the common thread I strive to maintain is to make you feel happy. I would be delighted if you could share the world I created for my characters. "
——Maki Hosokawa

Maki Hosokawa was born in Osaka, Japan in 1980, and with exceptional talent, she gained recognition by winning the Geisai Art Festival Bronze Award at the young age of 24. Subsequently, she became active in the art world, holding solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul, Taipei, and other places. She excels in creating portraits of innocent-looking, big-eyed girls in a "flattened" cartoon style. Drawing inspiration from timeless works such as fables, the Renaissance, Impressionism, and ukiyo-e, she adds a unique touch with minimalistic lines and flat colouring, breaking down temporal barriers and infusing elements of daily life and modern urbanity to create her own artistic classics. Through imaginative works, she conveys the strength of women in the internet generation, and her pieces are cherished by collectors worldwide, including being part of the renowned Pigozzi Collection in New York.

Life Is a Multiple-Choice Question, Guided by the Heart

Completed in 2018, Dorothy! Hi, Alice! is part of Maki Hosokawa's Fantasy World series, depicting the well-known fantasy tales The Wizard of Oz and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The composition resembles a flying chessboard, adopting an overhead perspective of the X-shaped yellow brick road from The Wizard of Oz, laying out two storylines that symbolize the choices faced in real life. The central mushroom house serves as the pivot point, with cards on the left side indicating the directions of the two main characters, Dorothy and Alice. Following the signs, you can see Dorothy in the upper-left corner wearing a blue bubble skirt, carrying a woven bag, with her beloved Toto at her feet, the Tin Man with a red heart, and a smiling scarecrow behind her, forming a stable triangular structure, symbolizing their successful adventure. In the diagonal direction, their companion, the lion, sits under the Emerald City, accompanied by two witches riding brooms, seemingly guiding him in the search for courage and companionship, portraying the protagonists who bravely face challenges. The other storyline connects to the protagonist of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with Alice wearing a pink top, a blue waist-short skirt, a pink bow on her head, and the White Rabbit jumping joyfully in a handstand. The Cheshire Cat lounges lazily on a cake tree, overlooking the distant card soldiers and the Queen of Hearts in a rose bush, holding the captured Dodo bird upside down in her hand, representing the good and evil in the story, separated by the mushroom house. Maki Hosokawa, drawing from these two fairy tales, reveals the complexities of contemporary society through her cute and humorous style, as if telling viewers that as long as you stay true to your heart, you can find the path to your dreams!

Price estimate:
HKD: 50,000 – 80,000
USD: 6,400 - 10,200

Auction Result:
HKD: --