PRINTCatalogue Note:
THE PRECIOUS FIGURINE CREATIONS GIVEN RECOGNITION BY MUSEUMS “Have you ever thought that maybe one day the limited edition figurines you have displayed in your house might not only rise to a hundred times their original price, but even be displayed in a famous art museum?” Artist Yoshitomo Nara’s work “Sleepless Night Sitting” has made this dream come true — and not just once — for collectors of figurines.
Neoteny is the phenomenon where a mature individual retains immature characteristics. The primary components of presentday society, whether Gen X or Y, have all matured in a highly commercialized environment. Many classic cartoons continue to be childhood memories for those 20 to 40 years old. This has led to a situation where, even though someone may have been a working adult for many years, their subconscious continues to be youthful. This in turn has created a society full of ‘kidults’. For these adults with strong financial abilities who are yet continually seeking to recapture the golden times of their youth, figurines have become a prime focus for their spiritual energies. “Every figurine is a landmark on a spiritual journey.” Their undying childlike wonder has given rise to the world of the figurine; and every one of Yoshitomo Nara ’s “dolls” are superb at both healing and getting one hooked. They have become the dream objects of desire for every figurine collector. With a constant clamor on both the web and social media, there has come to be one ultimate for any collector of figurines: “Sleepless Night Sitting”.
In fact, “Sleepless Night Sitting” has been displayed in both the Long Museum and the Asia University Museum of Modern Art. In addition, “Doggy Radio X RIMOWA”, a collaboration with the famous luggage manufacturer, also brought dreams to life for 200 collectors and allowed them to bring a collectible with them as they travel. Whether with the hand-sculpted pottery piece “Zuzanna” from the early 90s, or the “Mori Girl + Mini Mori Girl” with its remarkable hair like a Christmas tree and eyes like suns, these designer figurines whose feel so closely matches the originals have time and again brought toys into the cathedral of art. With his position like that of a godfather, every move of Nara Yoshitomo’s stirs the heart of the wider figurine fan audience, and at the same time helps to show the way in the new era of figurines.
Neoteny is the phenomenon where a mature individual retains immature characteristics. The primary components of presentday society, whether Gen X or Y, have all matured in a highly commercialized environment. Many classic cartoons continue to be childhood memories for those 20 to 40 years old. This has led to a situation where, even though someone may have been a working adult for many years, their subconscious continues to be youthful. This in turn has created a society full of ‘kidults’. For these adults with strong financial abilities who are yet continually seeking to recapture the golden times of their youth, figurines have become a prime focus for their spiritual energies. “Every figurine is a landmark on a spiritual journey.” Their undying childlike wonder has given rise to the world of the figurine; and every one of Yoshitomo Nara ’s “dolls” are superb at both healing and getting one hooked. They have become the dream objects of desire for every figurine collector. With a constant clamor on both the web and social media, there has come to be one ultimate for any collector of figurines: “Sleepless Night Sitting”.
In fact, “Sleepless Night Sitting” has been displayed in both the Long Museum and the Asia University Museum of Modern Art. In addition, “Doggy Radio X RIMOWA”, a collaboration with the famous luggage manufacturer, also brought dreams to life for 200 collectors and allowed them to bring a collectible with them as they travel. Whether with the hand-sculpted pottery piece “Zuzanna” from the early 90s, or the “Mori Girl + Mini Mori Girl” with its remarkable hair like a Christmas tree and eyes like suns, these designer figurines whose feel so closely matches the originals have time and again brought toys into the cathedral of art. With his position like that of a godfather, every move of Nara Yoshitomo’s stirs the heart of the wider figurine fan audience, and at the same time helps to show the way in the new era of figurines.