Hiro Ando

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About the artwork

Japanese artist Hiro Ando is renowned for his youthful neo-pop aesthetic, in which he creates a contemporary dialogue between Japan’s past and present culture. In this work, Ando recontextualises the Japanese icon Maneki Neko (“Lucky Cat”), within the hyperreal mass culture of the modern day, depicting it using a bright neon orange colour. Ando’s sculptures are strongly rooted in the complexities of Japanese history and society, yet are simultaneously thrilling and captivating, transporting viewers into the world of Manga that the artist’s generation grew up in.

About the artist

Acquiring his degree from the University of Art, Hiro Ando began his prolific career in 1995 in Tokyo, depicting its nighttime urban landscape. With a lot of inspiration, the streets proved to be an endless source of material for his narratives which often included the red fish in addition to the urban background. The act of the red fish in his paintings greatly reminds of the ancient Japanese watercolor paintings, thus making his work permeated with both a contemporary and traditional feeling. With his artistic beginnings tied to illustration, he would draw several sketches before actually working on the canvas, and his practice has since spread to video material, digital support, and sculpture.