Visit to the Perrotin Gallery
Discovering the exhibition “Invoke It and a Flower Shall Blossom”
A visit to the Perrotin gallery to see "Invoke It and a Flower Shall Blossom", a solo exhibition by the Japanese artist Mr.
Thanks to Louise Hauguel of the gallery for guiding our students through M. Iwamoto’s latest works and giving us a glimpse into the artist’s rich and complex universe.
Born in 1969 in Cupa, Japan, Masakatsu Iwamoto, known by the pseudonym M., established himself in the art world during the 1990s. After graduating from the Fine Arts Department of the Sokei Art School in Tokyo, he began his career as an assistant to the famous contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. It was at this time that he adopted the nickname "Mister" in homage to Shigeo Nagashima, the famous baseball player affectionately nicknamed "Mister Giants." Mr.'s rise to worldwide recognition began to take shape in 2008 with an exhibition at Galerie Perrotin, marked by the show "Nobody Dies."
This pivotal moment laid the foundations for his international recognition. In 2014, Mr. reached a major milestone with his first solo exhibition in the United States, titled "Live On: Mr’s Japanese Neo-Pop," an exhibition of artworks inspired by the devastating tsunami of March 2011. That same year, his collaboration with the famous musician Pharrell Williams on the "It Girl" music video further strengthened Mr.'s renown while offering new perspectives on his artistic work. Five years later, another fruitful collaboration with the artistic director of Louis Vuitton led to the exhibition "A Call to Action" at the Musée Guimet in Paris, which highlights not only the continuing trajectory of his career but also his ability to evolve and extend his artistic influence in various fields.
Deeply rooted in Japanese youth culture, the exhibition embodies the essence of the Superflat movement. It harmoniously blends the visual styles of animation, video games, and manga with Buddhist symbolism and the characteristic flatness of classical art. As a representative of the otaku community, M. explores the themes of cosplay (wearing the costume of a pop-culture character and adopting their attitude by imitating their poses) and lolicon (lolita) in his works, subtly incorporating elements of urban subcultures such as graffiti.
With "Invoke It and a Flower Shall Blossom", visitors were invited to immerse themselves in the dynamic world of M., where traditional and contemporary influences converge to create a tapestry of expressions.
