Designed by the contemporary Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara exclusively for Asia Society Hong Kong Center, this set of “Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories” porcelain plates is limited-edition commission for the artist’s first major solo exhibition in Hong Kong. Each plate features a portrait of Nara’s signature large-headed girls, at times angry and mischievous, but always evocative of playful innocence that speaks to our inner child. Borrowing from the style of conventional Chinese crockery, the plates are also decorated with a patterned rim featuring stylized auspicious cloud motifs that convey prosperity and good fortune. Since their release in 2015, the plates have become much-treasured collectibles, once fetching 18 times its original price at auctions!

The popularity of the blue-and-white plates is telling of the appeal and resonance of Nara’s artwork. Back in 2015, ASHK presented the solo exhibition, Life is Only One: Yoshitomo Nara, showing over 40 works of paintings, sketches, photographs, sculptures and mixed-media installations exploring the artist’s open-ended interpretation of “life.” The exhibition welcomed queues after queues of visitors, attracting over 60,000 visitors in just over 3 months. The local public also engaged with Nara’s art enthusiastically through a response art competition that received over 200 entries of artwork inspired by Nara from audiences of all ages. Whether on a canvas or a plate, Nara’s iconic characters welcome us into his imagination and silent conversations on childhood experience, memory and the impermanence of life.

由日本當代藝術家奈良美智為亞洲協會香港中心獨家設計的「香港、九龍、新界」青花盤，是紀念藝術家首次在港舉辦大型個展的委約精品。每個盤子上畫有奈良時而憤怒頑皮、時而天真可愛的經典大頭女孩；同時亦帶傳統中式瓷具元素，於盤邊飾有寓意高升如意的雲紋。自2015年推出以來，這套一式三件的青花盤成為寶貴珍藏品，還曾經在拍賣上以18倍原價成交！

這套青花盤如此備受歡迎正反映奈良的創作之吸引力及共鳴。在2015年，亞洲協會香港中心舉辦了《無常人生：奈良美智》，展出超過40件繪畫、素描、攝影、雕塑和混合媒體裝置作品探索藝術家對於生命的理解。在展覽期間觀眾蜂擁而至，在三個多月内達超過6萬人次。展覽的附屬藝術比賽亦迎來香港大眾熱烈參與，收穫接近200則啟發自奈良的藝術投稿。無論在畫布還是盤子上，奈良標誌性的人物邀請我們探索他的想象，反思我們的童年回憶以及生命的無常。