The Japan Society is delighted to invite members and their guests to a guided tour of Yoshitomo Nara at Hayward Gallery, the comprehensive exhibition of the globally celebrated artist for his powerful portraits with eyes that gaze back at the viewer, and his drawings that engage with daily experiences.

Nara’s work delves into themes of resistance, rebellion, isolation, freedom, and spirituality. With over 150 pieces, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations, and ceramics, this exhibition highlights the enduring influences on his art, such as nature and its mythology, the peace movement, the significance of home, and his passion for punk and rock music and popular culture. Since the late 1990s, Nara has showcased his work in numerous museums and galleries across Europe, the United States, Japan, and Asia.

This event offers a unique opportunity to explore the exhibition with the expert guidance of Hayward Gallery Assistant Curator, Katie Guggenheim. She will lead us through the artworks, sharing insights into the artist's vision and creative process. The tour will last about an hour, and attendees are welcome to remain and enjoy the exhibition after the tour until the gallery closes at 6pm.

Born in 1959 in Japan’s Aomori prefecture, Yoshitomo Nara completed the Master of Fine Arts programme at the Aichi University of the Arts in 1987. Nara subsequently moved to Germany in 1988 and began his enrolment at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. After residing in Cologne, he returned to Japan in 2000.

Katie Guggenheim has been Assistant Curator at Hayward Gallery since 2017, working on exhibitions including Yoshitomo Nara, Linder: Danger Came Smiling (both 2025); Huang Po-Chih: Waves, When Forms Come Alive (both 2024); Mike Nelson: Extinction Beckons (2023); Anthea Hamilton: Primetime, Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child (both 2022); Matthew Barney: Redoubt (2021); Diane Arbus: In the Beginning (2019); Art Night and Andreas Gursky (both 2018). She was Curator at Chisenhale Gallery from 2012 to 2017, where she organised over twenty exhibitions including commissions by Ed Atkins, Maria Eichhorn, Camille Henrot, Helen Marten, Park McArthur and P. Staff, as well as curating performances by Wojciech Kosma, Alice Theobald and Eddie Peake and others. She was a trustee of Auto Italia from 2017 to 2023 and an Associate Lecturer at several art schools and curated, written and published independently.