Mr. (artist)

Mr. (born 1969 in Cuba^[1]) is a Japanese contemporary artist, based in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.^[2] A former protégé of Takashi Murakami, Mr.'s work debuted in both solo and group exhibitions in 1996,^[3] and has since been seen in museum and gallery exhibitions in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hong Kong, Seoul, Daegu, Paris, New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Miami, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and London.^[4]

He works in a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, and video, though his works are all closely related in aesthetics, style, and theme. A self-proclaimed otaku with a Lolita complex, which he says he does not act upon,^[5] his pieces depict young boys and girls in an anime/manga style, drawing upon the aesthetics and attitudes of otaku culture, and lolicon themes. While quite cute and innocent on the surface, many of his works are also quite sexualized, tying into the anime phenomenon of fanservice, and leaving it an open question as to how innocent his works are in the end.^[3] Critics have also questioned whether Mr.'s work reflects a commentary on otaku culture, or glimpses into a private fantasy world,^[2] though Mr. has said his art is about expressing his personal fantasies, and not about cultural commentary.^[5]