Mr.

New York City

Lehmann Maupin Gallery currently present Metamorphosis: Give Me Your Wings, an exhibition of new work by Japanese artist Mr.

The centerpiece of Mr.’s exhibition is a massive installation to be constructed in the middle of the main gallery and interspersed with a series of new paintings. This sprawling installation, the first of it’s kind by the artist outside of Japan, embodies the post-disaster angst and frustration of the Japanese people since the catastrophic events of March 11, 2011. According to the artist, the Japanese people rose in a unified effort to recover from the devastation of the loss of World War II. But along with the recent economic stagnation, the earthquakes in Eastern Japan, and the after effects of the nuclear disaster, a collective depression from an inability to vent their frustrations continues to accumulate within their society.

Metamorphosis: Give Me Your Wings comprises new paintings of Mr. too; they reflect the on-going exploration of otaku, the Japanese “cute” subculture marked by fetishistic obsession with young adolescents, technology, sci-fi literature, manga, anime, and video games. In contrast to Mr.’s installation, these paintings will be characterized by bright colors and uplifting imagery. Like his fellow Superflat artists, Mr. approaches the visual language of manga as a means of examining Japanese culture at large, fusing hi and low forms of contemporary expression.

Lehmann Maupin

September 13th – October 27th, 2012
540 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001
USA

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