Famous pop surrealism artists in asia – Let’s discuss ‘famous pop surrealism artists in Asia’ today. When discussing Asian artists, the coverage will undoubtedly be extensive. Of course, we can’t cover all artists. The artists discussed in this first part are those that come to the top of my mind, especially styles and favorites of mine. However, in the next article, I will talk about other artists. This means that this article will not stop at just this piece of writing but will continue in the next article.
But before Exploring too much into the background of pop surrealism artists in Asia, let’s discuss what ‘pop surrealism’ is. Pop Surrealism is an art movement that emerged in the 20th century.This art is inspired by surrealism, which explores the subconscious and the dream world, but it is not separate from pop art, using bright colors and pop icons such as anime, cartoons, and others.The incorporation of symbolic language of symbolic language and metaphor is often brought forth as the visual language of pop surrealist artists. Meanwhile, the themes and mediums used can be very free and often highly complex and multidimensional.
In this initial segment, I will focus on East Asian artists, namely Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and so on.From an anthropological perspective, if we discuss artists from East Asia, we cannot overlook their socio-cultural aspects, rituals, religious influences, and community values. A significant portion of East Asian societies strongly believes in balance.
Philosophy, culture, and traditions of East Asian people, according to anthropologists.
harmony with nature
In Taoism teachings originating from China, there is a significant emphasis on harmonizing with nature. One of these aspects is Yin and Yang, signifying the balance between black and white, good and bad. The goal of this balance is to achieve peace.
Then there’s the concept of ‘Wu Wei,’ which teaches that spontaneous actions, when gentle and flexible, can create harmony with nature. Another teaching of harmony is seen in ‘Feng Shui,’ a practical philosophy in arranging spatial layouts harmoniously by utilizing natural elements to evoke positive energy.
In Japan, there’s the term ‘Shizen’ (shee-zhen), a philosophy that teaches to appreciate nature naturally and accept it as it is.
The balance of human relationships.
In Chinese culture, we are familiar with the term ‘Xiaodao’ or also known as filial piety. This teaching is part of Confucianism. Filial piety emphasizes devotion and respect for parents through concrete actions of love and care throughout their lives
The balance in human relationships also exists in Japanese tradition and culture, known as ‘Koukou’ or ‘Oyakoko,’ which teaches about loyalty and duty to parents. Similarly, in Korea, we have the term ‘Hyodo’ or ‘Hyo,’ which shares almost the same values as those in Japan and China.
Although in the modern era these values have shifted considerably, they are still held by a significant portion of East Asian societies
From the anthropological discussion above, it is clear that the artists we will discuss below often explore themes closely related to the balance of nature, the balance of social and human relationships. but also occasionally explore memories,reflecting interpersonal and extrapersonal romanticism with their environment. Here are some artists we will discuss in this first article:
famous pop surrealism artists in asia – List
Hikari is an artist who graduated from the illustration department of the renowned Kyoto Saga University of Art. He employs cute or kawaii characters to depict the honest, sometimes dark, and absurd issues of real life.
She often uses the theme of death to symbolize life and the significance of living, especially in works exhibited in the Mementomori series.
Depicting icons of black and white children as symbols of balance, the characters are portrayed with slash wounds on their necks as symbols of injury and tragedy. This references the reality of certain human tragedies, such as Chernobyl in Ukraine and the Fukushima earthquake in Japan, which resulted in nuclear reactor leaks. In these tragedies, many young children often become victims
The horns on the images of children are symbolic markers representing the level of stress and emotion in the children. Hikari’s illustrations are also heavily influenced by Japanese comic culture, namely manga.
The horns on the images of children are symbolic markers representing the level of stress and emotion in the children. Hikari’s illustrations are also heavily influenced by Japanese comic culture, namely manga.
Hikari’s paintings tend to use cheerful and vibrant colors, sharply contrasting with the dark and gloomy themes presented as a manifestation of the paradox of human life. There is a sense of empty and void emotions in Hikari’s paintings, reflecting the alienation from modern human life.
Mari Kim is a graphic artist and animator from Korea. Kim often features icons of women with big eyes, characterized by contrasting and bright colors that she terms as ‘eyedolls’. she often collaborates with the trending KPop music industry in the form of album cover art and animated music videos.Seen in several of her exhibitions, Kim explains that the eyes in each of her works have cavities that seem to draw art enthusiasts into another world or dimension.
Xiao Gang is a renowned artist in contemporary China who rose to prominence after the student movement during the Tiananmen Square incident.
Zhang Xiaogang is known for his symbolic style with the theme of ‘family’ in his works. He often depicts portraits of Chinese individuals with black-pupiled eyes and red stains on their faces, especially in his Bloodline series.
The painting is often displayed with a monochromatic color scheme. He has mentioned several times that he is inspired by Frida Kahlo, especially when depicting a red thread interpreted as a thread of discord or blood in an effort to sew the relationships between people in his work.
Ming Jun is also a contemporary artist in the student movement. He is one of the prominent figures in contemporary art during the booming era of Chinese art. Often, he depicts human figures with pinkish skin, with faces and appearances laughing uproariously, as if mocking oneself or sometimes mocking the surroundings.
There is an intentional sense of irony portrayed by the artist through the laughing figures, often depicted alongside various representations of tragedy. It’s as if depicting us as humans who often laugh first before realizing the tragedies that exist
During the era of the Chinese government in the student movement, particularly during the Tiananmen Square incident, there was a lot of emphasis on freedom of expression. As a result, dark humor and satirical humor were often used as critical tools against the government. This tool is also employed by Yue Minjun through his artworks.
Yoshitomo Nara is a Japanese artist from Hirosaki, currently residing in Nasushiobara. Nara is renowned as one of the artists who emerged during the rise of the Japanese pop art movement in the 1990s. He is highly active, participating in various exhibitions around the world
He is known for his ‘big-headed girls’ with earrings; Nara’s paintings are often depicted using simple imagery, pastel colors, and frequently lack background or have plain backgrounds.
The child characters in Nara’s paintings appear with sleepy faces and expressions, as if just waking up, yet in contrast, some of his artworks often portray children using sharp objects and appearing aggressive.
Nara’s works have been collected by the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles. His artworks are often interpreted as expressions of children, depicting emotions and the states of adults.
Some translate Nara’s work as a paradox between cute images that convey dark humor messages, and at times, explicit cultural messages.
That is a list of some ‘Famous Pop Surrealism Artists in Asia,’ especially in East Asia, in this first article. Certainly, the list of pop surrealism artists will continue to grow and be expanded in the next articles. – famous pop surrealism artists in asia