THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE

Over the past couple of years I have found myself drawn to the work of Japanese artists. It wasn’t an intentional move, but something about the streamlined, minimalist works always resonated. So it was no surprise that the recent show at the Perrotin Gallery in New York that focused on the works of the Japanese artist Ob caught my attention as well.

Ob, who was born in 1992, has fit a lot of success into her career to-date. She’s seen as one of the most important artists to have emerged` out of the Japanese SNS (Social Networking Services) generation. While studying in Kyoto, she curated a number of local critically acclaimed exhibitions showcasing the art of her illustrator art peers. Ob’s own work has been getting visibility with solo shows at Perrotin in NY, Takashi Murakami’s Kaikai Kiki Gallery Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong International Art Fair and 0000 Gallery in Kyoto and group shows at Perrotin Paris and Seoul. And she’s only just getting started.

DREAMY AND WIDE-EYED

Inspired by the vast world of social media and video games that she grew up with, and by other artists who work with a similar style, Ob’s work explores the feminine psyche through the recurring motif of a wide-eyed young girl. This is also the case with her dreamy paintings that were shown at the Perrotin that drew inspiration from movie scenes and anime as well as the artist’s own photographs and past work.

Ob’s work combines the virtual and physical worlds and experiences, with paintings depicting anime shows as well as scenes from her own life. According to the interview at the start of the recent Perrotin show the pieces also reflect introspection brought on by the need for isolation from others during Covid-19. The artist speaks of the power of the story that can be a great tool in helping us move forward, accept difficult situations and become a filter for our minds to alleviate fear. The exhibition title “Your, My, Story” evokes the individual stories relevant to the artist herself.

EMBRACE NOSTALGIA, LEAVE ROOM FOR YOUR OWN STORY

Most of the paintings get their dreamy quality from the “milky” filter that the artist uses that, in her words, creates a state of uncertainty, as if the characters in the painting are wavering between childhood and adulthood. As Ob herself admits, nostalgia, melancholia, and adolescence form the basis of her paintings.

She also leaves her characters without a mouth. Viewers can come up with their own interpretation, create their own narrative. So, what is yours?