Yoshitomo Nara’s First UK Solo Exhibition Lands at the Hayward Gallery

This summer, London’s Hayward Gallery will present the UK’s first major solo exhibition by acclaimed Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. Running from 10 June to 31 August 2025, the retrospective offers an immersive journey through over four decades of Nara’s emotionally charged and politically resonant work, including recent paintings, drawings, and sculptures. The exhibition builds upon previous showings at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden, bringing a deeper, more personal look into the life and mind of one of Japan’s most influential contemporary artists.

Yoshitomo Nara, Missing in Action, 1999. Courtesy of Sally and Ralph Tawil and Yoshitomo Nara Foundation. © Yoshitomo Nara. 

Nara is internationally celebrated for his signature portraits of wide-eyed children and animals—figures that appear innocent yet defiant, tender yet unsettling. These characters, familiar yet ambiguous, challenge viewers to look beyond surface appearances. The Hayward exhibition explores this duality by tracing the evolution of Nara’s practice, from his early works in the 1980s to his latest pieces that reflect current global anxieties.

The artist’s formative years in Japan’s Tōhoku region were shaped by solitude, drawing, and the antiwar folk music broadcast by the Far East Network radio station. This early exposure to protest culture and Western soundscapes laid the groundwork for Nara’s lifelong integration of music and emotion into his visual art. Later, his studies in Germany under Neo-Expressionist A.R. Penck exposed him to European modernism, inspiring the bold lines and psychological depth seen in his now-iconic characters.

While Nara’s work is often described as “cute,” it defies categorization. Pieces like Ships in Girl (1992) and From the Bomb Shelter (2017) reflect his resistance to commercial interpretations of innocence. Instead, these artworks explore themes of alienation, protest, and healing. Following the devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Nara’s paintings took on a more introspective tone, grappling with collective grief and personal transformation.

The exhibition is curated thematically to highlight Nara’s recurring motifs—solitude, home, childhood, and resistance—while showcasing his experimentation across mediums including sculpture, collage, and installation. His latest works, such as Midnight Tears (2023), embody a fragile emotional landscape, rendered in delicate, translucent layers that evoke vulnerability and quiet strength.

Yoshitomo Nara, Dead of Night, 2016. Acrylic on canvas, 100.5 x 91cm. Courtesy of the artist and private collection. 

Hayward Gallery’s Senior Curator Yung Ma describes Nara’s work as “iconic in the truest sense,” citing the global resonance of his characters and the emotional immediacy of his style. Ralph Rugoff, Director of the Hayward Gallery, adds that Nara’s ability to blend popular culture with fine art has made him a central figure in contemporary visual culture.

Accompanying the exhibition is a fully illustrated catalogue designed by Praline, featuring essays by art historians and critics, as well as an in-depth interview with the artist. Visitors can also look forward to an artist talk with Yoshitomo Nara on 10 June, offering further insight into the mind behind these evocative works.

Whether you're a long-time admirer or new to Nara’s universe, this exhibition is a rare opportunity to experience the full emotional and artistic range of an artist who continues to challenge, comfort, and captivate audiences worldwide.

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Yoshitomo Nara

Dates: 10 June – 31 August 2025

Venue: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX

Tickets: £20 standard | Concessions available | Free for Southbank Centre Members

Opening Hours:Tue–Fri: 10am–6pmSat: 10am–8pmSun: 10am–6pm

Artist Talk: 10 June, 7pm, St Paul’s Roof Pavilion, Royal Festival Hall

More Info: www.southbankcentre.co.uk