big eyes and magic gardens

Aya Takano is a Japanese pop artist often associated with the Superflat movement. I discovered her a few years ago when her work was featured in an art magazine. The work reminds me of old 60's greeting card artwork. Every image is surreal- and contains imaginary worlds full of wide eyed girls. She was born in 1976 (WOW, young) in Saitama, Japan and had her first solo art exhibition in the U.S. (I think maybe at Blum and Poe) called The Far Reaches of The Universe, My Garden. The exhibition consisted of paintings and drawings narrating the artist’s personal view of places that lie both distant as well as proximate to her. Bearing facets of science fiction, the works illustrate seemingly innocent and seductively girlish females absorbed by the offerings of a contemporary lifestyle, including consumerism and fashion while at the same time being affected by the cultural values of Japanese traditions.
" Influenced by both manga and American Science Fiction, her art typically depicts large eyed female heroines, often partially or completely nude in a unique style that is both playful and subtly erotic. Known for mostly her drawings and paintings, she usually works in ink and acrylics." Aya Takano lives and works in Kyoto, Japan. She is a member of Takashi Murakami’s Kaikai Kiki Studio in Tokyo.
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