In the era of “minimalism,” a wave of “simplicity” has also emerged in art creation. Renowned Japanese illustrator Nagaba Yū has made a name for himself in the art world with his simple black and white drawings. Recently, he has once again collaborated with AllRights Reserved to bring the latest solo exhibition “Be Thankful For What You Got” to the Taipei audience. Continuing his style of black and white duality, the artist has created 24 new canvas oil paintings for the exhibition, paying tribute to various art masterpieces, classic films, and the famous American clothing brand American Apparel!
Yuko Nagaba used to paint with color blocks and watercolors in the past, but he never found the emotions that touched him in these colorful works. Later, he found the rule of presenting images in black and white from simple lines, and gradually established a unique style. In Japanese culture, elements such as simplicity and simplicity are highly respected, so Yuko Nagaba’s style is also popular. The local magazine “POPEYE” even invited the artist to serve as a cover illustrator for their periodicals. With the widespread circulation of the magazine and Yuko Nagaba’s high popularity, this painting style has been embraced by many brands such as UNIQLO, ASICS, G-SHOCK, and BEAMS for collaborative series.
The concept of this exhibition is inspired by Japanese artist Nagaba Yuko’s favorite British electronic band, Massive Attack, covering the eponymous song “Be Thankful For What You Got” by renowned American R&B singer William DeVaughn. The song conveys the message that one should not lament over what is lost, but instead be grateful for what one has. Because the artist often listened to this song during the preparation of the exhibition, coupled with the impact of the pandemic, it made him value the attitude of contentment and gratitude even more. This timeless song resonated with his state of mind at the time, leading him to use it as the theme of the exhibition.
The exhibition will showcase 24 canvas oil paintings presented in a new way, unlike Takeshi Nagaba’s previous works that only paid tribute to a single movie scene or famous painting. This time, he boldly interweaves multiple themes, drawing inspiration from different subjects, including reinterpreting the famous paintings of artists such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, reshaping the imagery derived from American Apparel advertisements, and the images taken with the SX-70 Polaroid camera that the famous American photographer William Eggleston loves to use. This exhibition will showcase a more diverse range of themes, encompassing the creative subjects of the artist’s past works.
In addition to artworks, AllRightsReserved also launched a limited edition set of two silk screen prints “Toy Car” and “Fireplace”. From today until October 18, they will be available for global lottery subscription at DDT Store. Fans who are interested should not miss this opportunity!
Learn more: DDT Store
