Inside Yoshitomo Nara's beautiful studio sanctuary in Japan

‘When it comes to actually painting on canvas it feels like a serious, head-to-head match. But it’s precisely because it’s a serious battle that I think good things come out of it.’

Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara takes us on a video tour of his studio in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture during which he talks about his solo approach, his love of music and a tendency to think of himself in miniature.

Nara shows us how he likes to have his studio primed and ready so he is able to get straight to work whenever inspiration hits; this includes having a range paints and brushes at hand – even though he rarely uses all of them – and having cardboard boards of multiple sizes ready to work upon so as not to lose his creative flow to the ‘hassle’ of stretching a fresh canvas.

The artist also gives an insight into how his exhibition at the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery took shape, beginning with a maquette of our gallery populated by miniature magnetic replicas of Nara’s works.

Finally, Nara reflects on how the rural setting of his studio brings him back to the environment he grew up in, reconnecting with his childhood surrounded by nature, after a life spent travelling around the world. ‘I think a place in nature is like an entrance that guides you on that journey back to where your sensibilities began.’

00:00 | Introduction
00:26 | Painting
01:40 | Sleeping bag
02:10 | Art materials
06:11 | Poetry and music
06:40 | Magnetic miniatures
08:45 | Latest works
11:12 | Reading room

Yoshitomo Nara, the largest European retrospective of his works to date, is at the Hayward Gallery until 31 August 2025. Book now: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/wha...

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