Yoshitomo Nara is a Japanese artist born on December 5, 1959 in Hirosaki, Japan. He is known for his characteristic portraits of children and animals, which he paints in a naive yet provocative style.

Nara studied art at the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music in Nagoya and later at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in Germany. His work was first exhibited in Japan in the late 1980s before he became internationally known. His artwork has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Asia Society Museum in New York, and the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo.

He has also received commissions for public artworks, including sculptures and murals. Nara has also worked as a musician and songwriter and was a member of the band "The Star Club." His artwork and music are heavily influenced by his youth and the pop culture he absorbed in Japan and the West.

Today, Nara lives and works in Tokyo and is considered one of Japan's most influential contemporary artists.

As of May 10,2023, Nara has a museum exhibition at the Albertina, Vienna.