At first glance, the colourful artworks appear to be cartoon drawings. But a closer examination reveals that they are serious paintings by a young generation of Japanese visual artists.
Painting for Joy: New Japanese Painting in 1990s is an exhibition featuring 55 works by nine leading Japanese painters, including Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara and Taro Chiezo. They combine western art techniques with pop culture references and traditional art forms to create a unique and joyful style of painting.
The paintings have a distinct Japanese flavour, with simple compositions and vibrant colours. They also contain symbolic images that will instantly appeal to young audiences.
For instance, Imaginary Mountain by Chiezo, a pop artist known for using comic icons in his work. The painting features a mountain that - at first glance - looks like Batman, or a robot.
Connie Lam, Hong Kong Arts Centre programme director, said the style reflects the artists' upbringing. Most of them are in their 30s, so their coming-of-age coincided with Japan's rapid economic growth and the emergence of subcultures - such as comics and animation - after the second world war.
'It was a good period to live in, a time without crisis,' said Lam.
But it was also a time when the nation was still recovering from the shock of the 1945 nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.
Murakami, Japan's top pop artist, once said his country's obsession with Hello Kitty,
anime heroines and odd-looking monsters was rooted in the bombings, which gave rise
to a culture that refused to grow up. This is reflected in the seemingly innocent and light-hearted works of Nara, whose popular cartoon-like child characters (above) - which often sport a cheeky upward glance - convey a rebellious attitude, despite their amiable appearance.
'They are children who look cheeky and refuse to grow up. We always think that paintings about children must be cute, but there is something rebellious in these characters,' said Lam. 'I have a deep affinity for them, as they remind me of the bad child characters in comics that I read as a child.'
A highlight of the exhibition are the two works by Mirakami: I can't touch (blue & red) - which features the popular anime character Mr DOB - and The King's Seat of Two Dimensional Perspective. His works best reflect the superflat art style, which links the two-dimensional style of anime and manga with traditional Japanese art.
'I belong to the generation [of Hong Kong people] who grew up watching animations and comics from Japan. They are not just entertaining, but also creative,' said Lam. 'The question is whether we can absorb these elements and then recreate our own identity.'
The exhibition runs until January 15 at the Arts Centre's Pao Gallery. Admission is free. For more information, call 2582 0200.