User guide

Keyword searches will search across all information associated with works such as title, artist, year, material, and technique. Separate words with spaces to conduct an AND search on multiple keywords.

2. Search by Year

Works can be searched by year of creation. Select dates in the From and To drop down menus.
To search within a single specific year, select the same year for both From and To.

3. Search by Type

Works can be searched by type, categorized by technique and base material combinations.
* For information on categories of types, refer to Definitions and Glossary – Types of Work.

4. Search by Period

Works can be searched by place and associated period of creation.
* For information on categories of periods, refer to Definitions and Glossary – Periods.

5. Search by Size

Works can be searched by height length (unit: centimeters).

6. Other Functions

Search results can be sorted by Chronological (New to Old), Chronological (Old to New), Alphabetical (A to Z), Alphabetical (Z to A), Type of Work, Size (Largest to Smallest), or Size (Smallest to Largest).
Artwork images can be displayed in list view or grid view.

Definitions and Glossary

This site uses the following definitions.

1. Definitions regarding the works of Yoshitomo Nara

Works

Works presented at exhibitions or sold through galleries by Yoshitomo Nara. Signed paintings, drawings, sculptures, and edition artwork.

Products

Products such as original goods, exhibition merchandise, and museum merchandise. Books, CDs, etc., for which images and/or writings were contributed.

Set

Artwork comprised of multiple elements. All elements put together are considered a single piece of artwork.

Break

A set with elements missing or apart for whatever reason. Also used to refer to a single component element of a set.

2. Type of work

Nara's works transcend and traverse across traditional categorizations of techniques and materials. This site respects Nara's stance on creating, and categorizes his works by "type," which are determined by the combination of classification (painting, drawing, billboard, print, photograph, sculpture, installation, or collaboration) and base material (canvas, paper, corrugated board, bronze, FRP, ceramic, wood, or other).

Paintings

Works that use "color" as the primary expression of what still remains after a process of repeatedly delving into thoughts and memories, using not only canvas but diverse materials such as paper and corrugated board.

Drawings

Works that use "lines" as the primary, direct expression of a moment's image or emotion.

Sculptures

Three-dimensional creations.

Installation Works

The exhibition space itself is artwork, created in order to show the various pieces in the ideal manner. The component pieces may be specifically for the installation, or previously created works that are brought together again.

Prints

Some works like early era etchings are etched and printed by the artist himself, while other works make full use of modern technologies such as photocopying.

Photographs

Prior to any aspirations of becoming an artist, Nara began taking photographs in his teens, led by his sensibilities. Without any plans of exhibiting them, he captured overlooked landscapes and the value of life in his photographs, in order to chronicle these things in his heart. For Nara, this act continues to be a way to record and train his own sensibilities. In recent years, his photographic works are shown in full-fledged exhibitions.

Slideshows

A 35 mm slide show of multiple photographs.

Collaborations

Works created with other artists. For example, Nara and Hiroshi Sugito formed a creative unit called Chaguin. Nara uses the name Henri Chaguin and Sugito goes by Pierre Chaguin, and both artists work in different expression styles than when they are "Yoshitomo Nara" and "Hiroshi Sugito." As a side note, the name Chaguin is a portmanteau of two artists that they admire, Chagall and Gaugin.

3. Periods

Each time Nara changes his studio location, his style also undergoes a small transformation. This site categorizes his periods based on the locations of his base of operations.

Recent Days: Works created in the last two years

Today’s Activities: After 2021

The world changes after March 11.

Based in Nasu: 2005 – March 10, 2011

Days spent creating in his first studio in Nasu, a space made for himself

Based in Tokyo: August 2000 - 2005

Returning to Japan after 12 years in Germany, days spent creating in a rented studio in a Tokyo suburb

Based in Cologne: Jun 1, 1994 – Jul 2000

Based in Cologne, days when full-fledged work as an artist began

School Days in Düsseldorf: May 28, 1988 – 1994

Days spent absorbed in creating while studying art at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

School Days in Aichi: April 1, 1981 – May 27, 1988

Days spent studying the basics of art at the Aichi University of the Arts

4. Entries in the catalogue raisonné

Artwork detail view includes the following information:

No.

Digital catalogue number starting with YNF, for pieces defined as Yoshitomo Nara artwork by this site

Title

Original title. If the original title is not in English, a translation is also included.

Co-artist

Collaborative artist(s)

Year

Year presented/year printed/year of signed B.A.T./year of mold creation/year of casting

Technique and material

Technique and base material

Inscription

Inscribed text is presented as written, without translation

Size

Height x width x depth/thickness dimensions in centimeters

Edition

Edition and edition number of works with multiples such as prints, photographs, and sculptures

Publisher

Publishing company or person, for prints and photography

Printer

Printmaker, printing workshop, or photo printer

Collection

Most recent known location of work, primarily public collections. Where known, the edition numbers are listed after each collection name as (Ed. XX/ZZ).

BSS No.

Listed number in Yoshitomo Nara: The Complete Works (published 2011 by Bijutsu Shuppan-sha, abbreviated as BSS2011 on this site.)

Studio No.

Yoshitomo Nara Foundation control number