Today Nara has had tremendous international success. His innocent yet aggressive figures have been shown in over 17 one-person exhibitions, 20 group exhibitions and can be seen in over 27 public collections.
His paintings are "in the moment," often done in one night in order to fully capture fleeting feelings. Nara 's pieces express the importance of imagination, childhood and innocence while jarring viewers with a unique intensity. Once the viewer is caught by the aggressive gaze of his characters, it's hard not to feel the commotion Nara wished to express.
Part of a revival of pop art, Nara has an extremely large fan base in Japan and has an almost cult like following. Nara bends the distinctions between high and low art by offering a line of merchandise featuring his characters ranging from ash trays to tee-shirts.
Nara grew up as a "latch key kid," poor and living in the country side. He grew up with only his imagination to keep him entertained. Growing up in post wwii Japan, his country was growing economically and was being invaded by western culture and ideas. This evolving Japanese culture would later prove to have a great impact on his childhood and thus his work.
Nara