Article | Yoshitomo Nara No Means No
WATCH | Yoshitomo Nara: 'No Means No'
Discover the enticing layers and monumental scale of the esteemed Japanese artist’s work.
Yoshitomo Nara, No Means No, 2006. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale Hong Kong.
Yoshitomo Nara’s seminal No Means No leads Phillips’ Hong Kong Evening Sale of 20th Century & Contemporary Art on 6 October.
The 2006 work brilliantly displays Nara’s hallmark technique of partially obscuring gentle pastel strokes with a translucent film of frosted white. It features an iconic Nara girl staring ahead with massive eyes that twinkle like galaxies. In this context, the title carries anti-war undertones as is characteristic of the pacifist artist. Measuring 162.5 x 130.8cm, the large scale of No Means No distinguishes the piece from the majority of Nara’s work to come to auction.
No Means No — A Timeline
2003: Yoshitomo Nara and the design collective graf begin their collaboration.
2006: Yoshitomo Nara paints No Means No, depicting an iconic Nara girl staring ahead with massive eyes that are executed with beautiful layers of floating iridescent colors.
2007: No Means No is presented in Berlin at Yoshitomo Nara + graf: Berlin Baracke, hosted by Galerie Zink.
2008: No Means No is shown at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art which marked the first show at a major public gallery in the United Kingdon for Nara + graf.
2023: No Means No to be offered for the first time at auction at Phillips Hong Kong.