HYPEBEAST Impressions: The Violent World of Otaku Artist MR.
“There is something like depression inside of me and it is painful, but also comforting.”
Japanese artist MR. is well-regarded for his illustrative, anime-inspired paintings and cartoonish sculptures. However, the Saitama-based creative resents the cutesy label often slapped upon his work. “From when I was around 13, my family had a rough time,” he admits. “Like with my older brother’s domestic violence.” The effect this turbulent upbringing had on MR.’s work is striking, considering the saccharine sweet designs that he often subverts with aggressive paint splashes and brush slashes.
As a teenager, he was obsessed with manga, video games & anime and was subsequently tagged as an “otaku,” a subset of Japanese culture primarily made up of young males who forfeit social skills for personal pastimes. “When I was a teenager, I thought ‘otaku’ was something embarrassing,” says MR. “I was embarrassed … that I was an otaku.” Eventually, however, “I started thinking that embarrassment could be a weapon … it is interesting to let that embarrassment [explode].” We head inside the artist’s humble studio to witness that explosion as MR. fabricates his signature cartoon-indebted creations by means of paint and pencil.
Watch the video above to see the entire visit and head to Perrotin Gallery’s artist page for more info on the artist.
Elsewhere, we sat down with photorealistic painter James Evans to break down his process.
