A new edition of the classic book by Yoshitomo Nara first published in 1999, ‘Slash with a Knife’ has it all: striking paintings that return the viewer’s gaze, whimsical drawings and doodles, and sculptural works that breathe life into diverse materials and spaces. Nara’s signature caricatures range from adorable and sweet in appearance to grouchy, chiding, or just plain sinister. Some of them hold knives. Nara first emerged in the art world during Japan’s pop art movement in the 1990s, and although the imagery of Japanese manga and anime is often mentioned in reference to his work, he deftly subverts this interpretation through a juxtaposition of evil and innocence.
152 p, ills color, 15 x 21 cm, pb, Japanese/English
