Sep, 08, 2022

Phoenix Art Museum premieres major exhibition of anime- and manga-inspired works by Japanese contemporary artist Mr.

Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town explores trauma, tragedy, and desire through fantastical paintings, drawings, and installations by one of today’s most popular Japanese artists.

PHOENIX (September 8, 2022) – This fall, Phoenix Art Museum will present Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town, the first U.S. solo exhibition in more than five years to exclusively showcase the work of Mr., one of today’s most popular Japanese artists.

A Journey into the Mind of Mr.

Spanning the late 1990s to 2022, the exhibition features nearly 50 paintings, drawings, sculptures, and video works, including a recent Museum acquisition and a new 30-foot-long canvas that will enjoy its world premiere at Phoenix Art Museum. These vivid and often chaotic works—a large selection of which were created in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic—draw influence from anime, manga, and virtual fantasy worlds to examine themes of desire, tragedy, and psychological anguish.

A Unique Artistic Experience

Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town will be on view in Steele Gallery at Phoenix Art Museum from November 6, 2022 through March 12, 2023. The exhibition provides a glimpse into the mind of an artist who responds to global tragedies while exploring his own anxieties, frustrations, and angst. It reminds us of art’s power to help us navigate complex emotions that affect individuals across cultures and create connections through artistic expression.

Exploring the World of Mr.

Mr., a self-described member of the otaku subculture, which is characterized by an obsessive interest in anime, manga, video games, and other forms of Japanese popular culture, creates paintings, sculptures, videos, and installations that explore his personal fantasies and represent a wider reflection on solitude, fear, desire, and trauma.

The World of Mr. Unveiled

Informed by manga and anime, the artist’s works feature kawaii (or “cute”) style characters with wide eyes, colorful hair, and round, childlike faces that evoke feelings of adoration. These characters are often set against graffiti-like backdrops, which echo the traumatic loss of life in Japan during World War II and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Mr. is closely associated with Superflat, the post-modern art movement founded by artist Takashi Murakami. Mr.’s work draws influences from 19th-century ukiyo-e prints, Pop Art, and abstract expressionism, combining them with elements of Japanese popular culture and references from the internet.

A Journey Through Time

Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town is the first U.S. exhibition dedicated solely to the artist’s work since 2014. It invites visitors to explore Mr.’s vivid, imagined universe, showcasing nearly 50 works created over the past two decades, highlighting the artist’s stylistic evolution. From brightly colored, innocent characters in the early 2000s to dramatic shifts in tone and composition in recent years, Mr.’s art captures the emotions and experiences of different periods of time.

Engrossing Video Work

The exhibition features a self-produced video created by Mr. in 1998. The video showcases the artist moving through various poses with a samurai sword, expressing his personal feelings of anguish and anxiety. It serves as a reminder that Mr. has always channeled his emotions into his artwork.

About the Exhibition

Mr.: You Can Hear The Song of This Town will be on view from November 6, 2022, through March 12, 2023, in Steele Gallery at Phoenix Art Museum. The exhibition is made possible through the generosity of donors and supporters. For more details about the exhibition, please visit the official website.

Related Programming

Mr. Community Celebration: First Friday
November 4, 2022 | 6 – 9 pm

The First Friday opening celebration of Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town invites Valley audiences to enjoy free Museum admission, access to the exhibition, food trucks, live music, and arts-engagement programming. The Men’s Arts Council sponsors the event.

Discover More Exhibitions

To provide historical context to Mr.: You Can Hear The Song of This Town, Phoenix Art Museum will present an outstanding selection of Japanese folk art, prints, and more beginning in December 2022. The exhibitions Demonic, Divine, Human: Japan’s Noh Theater, Beauty and Function: Japanese Folk Art from the Mayro-Stelitz Collection, and Exquisite Enamels: Gifts of Japanese Cloisonné from Waynor and Laurie Rogers showcase the rich cultural heritage of Japan and its influence on contemporary art.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum has been a vibrant destination for the visual arts for over 60 years. As the leading art museum in the southwestern United States, it provides access to world-class art and experiences that ignite imaginations and create meaningful connections. The Museum’s collection includes over 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. It offers a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs for visitors of all ages. The Museum aims to serve as a brave space that unites people of different backgrounds through art. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit Fecomic.

About Mr.

Mr. is a Japanese contemporary artist known for his exploration of Japanese culture through the visual language of anime and manga. Influenced by the otaku subculture, Mr. fuses high and low forms of contemporary expression to create unique artworks. His works have been exhibited internationally and can be found in public and private collections worldwide.