NEW YORK, NY.- Art Production Fund will present “White Ghost” by Yoshitomo Nara in two locations on Park Avenue. “We are thrilled to be working with Nara to introduce his first public sculptures in New York City” says Co-founders of Art Production Fund, Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen.

This public art installation will coincide with the first Nara retrospective “Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody’s Fool” opening at Asia Society in early September 2010. During August of 2010 the Park Avenue Armory will host Nara for an open studio residency. The large sculptures stand near the entrances to Asia Society and Park Avenue Armory like komainu, mythical lion-like animal statues commonly placed at the entrance to shrines in Japan as guardians. Nara, who often uses dogs and children as subjects in his work has uniquely combined the two for “White Ghost”. The sculptures will be glossy white, and will sit on rough stone like bases, referencing how artifacts and monuments from the past so often appear in museums. By presenting the sculptures in such a way, he considers the future ruins of his own work, and ultimately his own mortality. The sculptures are pleasing to a child and a passerby while being rigorous work for an art historian to ponder.

Yoshitomo Nara
Since the Japanese pop movement in the 1990s, Yoshitomo Nara has received international acclaim with his distinct figurative style. His drawings, paintings and sculptures can be seen in the permanent collections at MOMA, New York, CAC Malaga, Spain, Queensland Art Gallery, Australia and his largest sculpture, a 27’ high concrete dog is permanently installed at the Aomori Art Museum, Japan. His mixture of vulnerability, rebellion and hopefulness within his artworks connects intimately with people worldwide. Nara also shares a deep connection with his fans and is always finding creative ways to interact with the public.

Art Production Fund (APF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to producing ambitious public art projects, reaching new audiences and expanding awareness through contemporary art.