Hiro Ando is a contemporary Japanese artist whose works often explore the urban landscape of Tokyo. One of his notable works is the Night Tokyoscapes with the LOVE Sculpture, which captures the vibrancy and energy of the city at night.
The inspiration for the piece can be traced back to Ando’s upbringing in Tokyo. Growing up in the city, he found himself immersed in its bustling streets and vibrant culture and was drawn to the neon lights and the way they illuminated the city at night, creating a unique and otherworldly atmosphere.
In addition to his personal experiences, Ando was also inspired by the work of American artist Robert Indiana, who created the iconic LOVE sculpture in the 1960s, particularly by the bold, graphic style of Indiana’s work and the message of love and unity that it conveyed.
Combining these two influences, Ando created his Night Tokyoscapes with the LOVE Sculpture, which features a bright, colourful depiction of Tokyo’s skyline at night, with the iconic LOVE sculpture prominently displayed in the foreground.
The piece captures the excitement and energy of the city, as well as the sense of love and unity that is inherent in its culture.
Overall, Hiro Ando’s Night Tokyoscapes with the LOVE Sculpture is a testament to his love for his hometown of Tokyo and his admiration for artists like Robert Indiana. Through his Art, he seeks to capture the city’s essence and share it with the world.
Makiko Whole, the Publications Coordinator at The Museum of Modern Art New York, New York, said, “Drawing on ideas of collectability and fantasy, Japanese artist Hiro Ando combines tradition with contemporary culture in his sculpture work…. Ando’s editioned sculptures resemble enlarged toy cartoon characters and bear the names SumoCat, Samurai Cat, UrbanCat, and RobotCat. They’re mainly monochrome and glossy, and a few are enrobed in rhinestones or hand-painted. Ando’s work is the creative fruit of Japanese mass culture.
His cat figures are reminiscent of maneki-neko (literally, “beckoning cat”), a ubiquitous Japanese cultural icon symbolizing good luck; maneki-neko figurines can be found in nearly every souvenir store and restaurant in Japan.
Ando’s cats also resemble a masculine version of Hello Kitty, another emblematic feline character that originated in Japan. Ando’s work shares the neo-pop spirit that refutes the idea that Art is superior to others and aims to demonstrate that popular culture, consumer society and Art are on the same floor and can cohabit in the same image, though Ando’s sculptures do not convey the overt eroticism and darkness that most works do. Ando expresses a lighter side of neo-pop, highlighting that contemporary Art can be both fun and have broad appeal.”
For more information on works by Hiro Ando, visit www.hiroando.com.
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