Jakuan 1997

This is Tadanori Yokoo's 'Jakuan,' made in Kyoto. It’s a print, a medium that’s all about layers and process, and Yokoo really leans into that here. The colours are intense and unapologetic, bubblegum pink meeting sunset orange, like he’s turned the volume all the way up. Look at the way the imagery is layered: we’ve got portraits, religious icons, blossoms, and a starburst, all crammed into one space. It’s like Yokoo is saying, "Why choose when you can have it all?" There’s this sense of controlled chaos, you know? The pink cherry blossom at the bottom that seems to hold all the different characters that sit above. It reminds me of Robert Rauschenberg and his collages, how he threw everything together and somehow made it sing. Ultimately, 'Jakuan' is like a visual mixtape, blending high and low culture, tradition and modernity. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t have to be one thing; it can be a messy, vibrant conversation between different worlds.