Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara is set to unveil his first exhibition with David Zwirner in New York this fall, marking his first major solo presentation in the city in nearly a decade. The show will open on October 29 and continue through December 12 across the gallery's two Chelsea locations.
The exhibition brings together new paintings and drawings, recent sculptures, and early works chosen by Nara himself. According to the gallery, the presentation will connect formative pieces from the 1980s with newer works, offering a clear view of how his visual language continues to evolve.
Paintings and drawings will be displayed at 20th Street, while 19th Street will focus on 13 enlarged bronze sculptures created in 2024. Originally modeled at a much smaller scale, these works were expanded and finished with a white urethane surface that gives them a soft, almost tactile presence.
The gallery describes the sculptural series as inspired by the snow-covered figures Nara remembers from childhood winters, adding another layer of memory and imagination to his practice. The exhibition highlights both continuity and reinvention in one of contemporary art's most recognizable voices. It may help shape how future audiences experience large-scale, emotionally resonant art in urban gallery spaces.
