The Florescent Adolescence of Naomi Okubo
Naomi Okubo is a Japanese artist that explores the decorative fluorescent confusion of adolescence in oil and acrylic paintings. Her artworks are both hyper realistic and abstract. From the way she handles bold prints to the languid shy figures hiding between frames of pigmented flowers, they are works that are both eye catching and mesmerizing. Her paintings are done in acrylic and/or oil on cotton panel. The technique, although straightforward and simple, emphasize her skills in tight lines and layering by using bold images on top of one another without losing detail. When viewing her art it can almost resemble that of a scavenger hunt when trying to find the pale armed feminine figures with their heads turned away from the viewer.
In her artist statement, Naomi describes a preoccupation with outward appearances: “In my personal experiences, when I changed my own image, people changed their attitude toward me… I also realized the power of fashion and the fear of other’s watchful eyes. I have been interested in appearances ever since.” As a citizen of Japan, she also explains a struggle with the consumerist and the power of mass media holding sway over appearances and identity. The paintings sometimes feel like a obstructed view of a self-portrait. It causes the viewer to look closer into the loud patterns and jungle-like plants to see what the sitting figures are all turned away, ignoring the viewer to watch.