Over the Rainbow

Edited by Doris Krystof and Bernhart Schwenk. Text in English and German.
Yoshitomo Nara (*1959) is regarded as one of Japan's foremost contemporary artists and has attained a cult status in his homeland that is hardly imaginable for Europeans. His paintings of characters at once rebellious and vulnerable are among the most coveted items in the international art world. Hiroshi Sugito (*1970), his former student, has enjoyed an excellent reputation for many years. Sugito's delicate, finely painted works combine influences of Eastern and Western painting. The two artists completed the first of their joint works in 1997 and developed the idea for a joint exhibition and book project that was realized in the summer of 2004. Over the Rainbow documents the results of this encounter between two outstanding artists: Zen meets Pop.