Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara's (b. 1959) cute looking children and characteristic comic-like style are difficult not to fall for. Nara's small figures are smiling and their eyes are twinkling, but beneath the adorable surface, Nara reveals a more paradoxical image of being a child. The baby like proportions are cute and attractive, and at the same time the innocent children show a restless or even malicious side of their being. Boys and girls with threatening grimaces and dangerous attributes show a broader spectrum of children's play and everyday life. The presentation of childhood as a complex experience is portrayed with humour and charm, but always with a hint of something disturbing to the sweet
kawaii-style.
