Atsushi Kaga’s Katz v. Tuyman sold for HK$914,400 at Phillips Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale on Nov. 26, 2024 in Hong Kong. Originally from Tokyo, Kaga is based in Dublin and Kyoto, Japan, the former where he received his formal art training at the National College of Art & Design.
While Kaga’s characters appear playful on the surface, he tackles serious issues, such as politics, mental health and loneliness through his work, sometimes with a tinge of dark humor. He takes inspiration from a mix of Japanese culture, including Manga and Animé, as well as satirical Irish literature. In particular, the bunny character featured prominently in his paintings (like the one on our cover) has evolved over time as an emotional self-portrait of the artist, an alter ego of sorts.
Usatchi, as the bunny is known, is the diminutive form of usagi, the Japanese word for rabbit. It’s also an anagram for the artist’s first name. Kaga’s most recent exhibition, at the Jessica Silverman Gallery in San Francisco this winter, “The World Will Not End Tomorrow,” featured nine new paintings as well as two bronze statues of the aforementioned bunny.
Some of our other favorites, from Phillips Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale on Nov. 26, 2024 in Hong Kong, appear throughout the issue.
