As the well-prepared journalist that I am, I walked into the Hayward Gallery armed with an arsenal of life-spanning questions for Yoshitomo Nara – the Japanese artist famous for his distinctive paintings, sketches and sculptures of rebellious wide-eyed girls.
His retrospective at the London Southbank Centre exhibition space promises a deep dive into his cutesy yet politically charged career, and I was ready.
However, a few seconds after stepping into the entry hall, I threw all of my notes out of the window (by which I mean, I deleted them from my mental notebook, and my iPhone one) as the enormous presence of music instantly struck me, something I – and anecdotally others – had no idea was so vital to his existence.
The work practically demanded our conversation become a musical journey.
Mark Blower
Immediately on the left, “Banging the Drum” (2020) – an opening note which depicts one of Nara’s characters (frog-like and imbued with attitude, as usual) vigorously playing a tom drum.
In the centre, “My Drawing Room” (2008) – a makeshift mini wooden house inspired by his childhood vision of the perfect home, festooned with toys, badges, art supplies and drawings as if the artist had just up and left a minute ago. The first thing I heard when walking into the gallery is the euphonious melody of Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning” floating out of the shack’s open window.
And then, on the back wall, the key focal point – a display of (just a fraction of) Nara’s vast vinyl collection.
Mark Blower
As my now-wide eyes wandered across his music library, Nara – stood next to me at this point, wearing a well-cropped souvenir jacket, graphic tee, jeans, Adidas Superstars (“We’re matching!”) and a black baseball cap he kept flipping back and forth – declared: “There was music before art.”
In the half-an-hour I spent with the painter/sculptor/activist/self-proclaimed hippy, in the company of his records and his kowa kawaii infants, I came to understand (with the aid of a very lovely and helpful translator) how, in Nara’s world, the former has always inspired the latter.
Tell me a little about your record wall
Most people think of me as part of the punk generation, but I was listening to music before punk. A lot of these records are from the pre-punk era – music that I listened to as a child.
What was the first record you bought?
Suzie Q by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
When did you start buying records?
I was about eight years old.
Was there a record store near your childhood home in Aomori?
There were three record shops nearby, way back when. I was buying records every New Year as we have this custom in Japan to give cash to children for the holiday. All of the money that I accrued from relatives and friends of the family, I would spend it on vinyl.
What is your favourite album cover of all time?
There are too many to mention.
But what surprised me when I first studied art was that all my favourite sleeves were made by famous artists, photographers and designers. This told me that I had good eyes for art.
You told me earlier that there was music before art. When did you start creating art?
About 18, when I graduated high school. I was interested in art before that – I never imagined I would be a painter, or whatever.
But I started paying attention to the people slightly older than me, and art college looked so liberating.
People were just so free in their fashions and in every other way.
I adored that community of students, and I compared art colleges to standard universities and their communities. So, it wasn’t that I wanted to be an artist, I just wanted to join the club.
Plus, I realised that at other universities I would’ve had to really study to pass the exam. I found art exams easy. This also meant I could work part-time jobs to get money to buy records and go to gigs.
Mark Blower
Did you find community through music while studying?
It was in 1978 that I moved to Tokyo to go to art college, and at this time there was a big underground music scene in the city.
I was going to a lot of small music venues to listen to bands – mostly punk.
I was immersing myself in the genre which was interesting as my sentiment is from the hippy generation. In my head, I was a hippy although I looked like a punk.
I have spotted albums from The Beatles and David Bowie on the wall. Talk to me about your connection with British music.
I grew up in an apple orchard. 70 per cent of apples in Japan are grown in that area. When I was around 13 years old, I was looking out of my bedroom window at the sunset and suddenly David Bowie’s “Starman” came on the radio. It was the very first time I connected landscape with music which created a striking image in my head. The music really took over. Although I knew the music was coming from my radio, I couldn’t help but believe it was coming from the sky.
After this moment, I did my research into the artist which wasn’t as simple in that day and age but it didn’t matter as I enjoyed the researching process. Once I found the album, I had to go into the record shop and ask if they had it. They played the record for me in the record shop since there was only so many vinyls I was able to buy each year so I had to listen to it and like it. I did decide to buy this one. I particularly liked the music and the visuals together. Bowie’s visuals always fascinated me.
It’s sad that people don’t buy as many physical records today. I’ve always liked displaying mine. Especially since I lived around the apples – there was no museum or gallery there. My vinyl collection was my first art gallery.
Speaking of… talk to me about the house you’ve built in the centre of this gallery which combines music with your sketches
This was my dream house when I was a child. Now that I’m older, I can actually make it, so I did. The playlist is on Spotify, which I curated specifically for the UK exhibition. Obviously, I had the UK in mind but it is all music I grew up listening to.
I heard The Beatles playing before, a band you’re obviously a big fan of. I wonder: are the paintings featuring the characters with stars in their eyes inspired by “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”?
I’m not conscious about my musical influences, and there’s not one single track for each art piece. But it is really nice for someone to point that out as I’ve got so many lyrics going around in my head that are always influencing me.
Yoshitomo Nara
Talk to me about “Banging the Drum”
I didn’t plan on drawing a girl playing the drums – it could’ve been a guitar or anything else. I just go where my hand leads me to.
What have you been listening to recently?
I’ve been playing a lot of UK music this morning. [Nara takes out his phone and shows me his current Spotify playlist. The first four tracks are “Banks Of The Sweet Primroses Chords” by Fairport Convention, “Needle of Death” by Bert Jansch, “It’ll Take a Long Time” by Sandy Denny and The Dark-Eyed Sailor” by Steeleye Span.]
I also get great pleasure from discovering new bands that not many people know about.
Does it pain you to use Spotify?
I have mixed feelings about it. For a while, I stopped using Spotify because I was against the company directors’ political stances. But then I reminded myself that there are people working at Spotify who are diehard music fans and I don’t want them to lose their jobs.
What was the radio station you listened to when you were young?
Far East Network. It was all in English, primarily for the US Military Base. They would send requests to the radio station. It is now called American Forces Network.
I was also exposed to US culture through American films – Disney films, in particular. My birthday is the same as Walt’s [5 December], and I’ve always loved Mickey Mouse, especially the black and white ones.
Yoshitomo Nara Foundation
I have a Steamboat Willie plush toy!
Me too!
You’ve constantly weaved important political messages into your artwork. What music artists do you consider your peers in that respect?
The very first concert that I went to by a foreign artist was Neil Young. I went to Tokyo; I took an overnight train just to see Neil. I absolutely agree with his political statements.
Would you encourage budding artists to immerse themselves in music the way you do?
When you go to an art college, everyone seems to love the same things. But what’s important when it comes to art is finding what’s in you that’s different to others. Music can help you find your differences, and then you have to nurture them.
Mark Blower
Since Bob Dylan just started playing in the house and I can see a couple of Dylan vinyls on the wall, I must ask: Have you seen A Complete Unknown [The recently released Bob Dylan biopic]?
I’ve seen it three times!
Obviously, it’s fiction, so there are elements that are things that aren’t quite true. But I think it was really good at appealing to all kinds of people, including those who aren’t Dylan fans. You can enjoy it despite what you know about him and your opinion of him. Hats off to the actors.
The Yoshitomo Nara retrospective at the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery is open until Sunday 31 August 2025.
Book tickets in advance here.