Text / Compiled and reported by the editorial team of MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network
Flipping open the first page of a fairy tale in the heart, one delights in seeing the montage that tells warm and adorable stories, instantly balancing the heaviness of the real world. Though in these tales, monsters still run rampant, sadness still drips drop by drop, and protagonists struggle in adversity, but such is reality — it can defy logic, be simple and unadorned, or contrived and artificial; it can be elegant or crazy, shout out loud while chasing ideals and justice, or yell about the most shallow, evil, and cowardly side of oneself... When a bright and adorable figure appears, the world quietly becomes luminous.
Kang Eddie (Kang Sang-hyun), Nostalgic Feelings – Somewhere in My Lost Memories. (Image provided by Metaphysical Gallery)
This exhibition features works by Marie Laurencin, Gary Baseman, Kusama Yayoi, Yoshitomo Nara, Yoshitaka Amano, Hiroyuki Matsuura, Sakurai Rieko, Kwon Ki-soo, Eddie Kang, Yang Maolin, and Yang Na. Their creations are adorably thought-provoking and richly layered. Within their cuteness lies warmth, humor, romance, freedom; within their charm, joy is broadcast and sorrow revealed, passion offered and loneliness tasted... Their moe goes far beyond what meets the eye.
Yoshitaka Amano, Monochrolme. (Image provided by Metaphysical Gallery)
The adorable characters under Gary Baseman’s brush enact absurd, bizarre, and nonsensical fairy tales. But when you look deeper, his dark humor is nourishing, presenting a fantastical world full of love — much like the interplay of bitterness and sweetness in life. Sakurai Rieko uses vibrant colors to represent the ever-changing hearts of girls, sometimes innocent and naive, sometimes cunning and calculating. Yet through their eyes that stare unflinchingly, where is the need for a reason behind youthful fearlessness and original intent?
Gary Baseman, The Baptism of Chou Chou. (Image provided by Metaphysical Gallery)
Yang Maolin, The Lucky Anglerfish of Oz. (Image provided by Metaphysical Gallery)
Yang Maolin showcases his unique interpretation of fairy tales, transforming deep-sea fish that emit a faint glow in the dark silence into the vessels and mounts of fairy-tale protagonists. Their adorable forms fulfill childhood desires and invite us to cruise the deep sea in search of truth. The unnecessary seriousness and solemnity of the adult world can actually be handled with ease. Kusama Yayoi tells her life story through polka dots, spinning colorfully and elegantly in an infinitely vast alternate space. Who says pain, madness, and fantasy can only play sad melodies? Yoshitomo Nara, with his signature large-headed, big-eyed characters, gazes with innocence tinged with slight naughtiness — whether glaring angrily, pouting, looking blank, or grinning foolishly — making us not only see their inner childlike purity but also feel the joy of Gguri flying through a crimson sky, as if flight were the happiness of freedom. Yet landing is also a beautiful dance with falling petals. Kwon Ki-soo consistently uses the simplest imagery to convey his deepest philosophy on life — life is a passionate game, the game can always start anew, and we can always summon the courage.
Sakurai Rieko, Cosmic Girl II. (Image provided by Metaphysical Gallery)
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