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About the Artist: Taichi Hara

Born in 1982 in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Taichi Hara grew up immersed in an artistic environment shaped by his father, renowned painter Daisuke Hara. From an early age, he engaged in creative activities such as sculpting with clay, drawing, and crafting. Despite this rich artistic upbringing, Hara initially yearned for a conventional family life and attended the prestigious Shibuya Makuhari Junior and Senior High School, aspiring to become a salaryman. However, when the time came to choose a career path, his passion for creation grew stronger, leading him to follow the same path as his father and become a painter. He went on to study in the Department of Oil Painting at Musashino Art University.

During his university years, Hara dedicated himself to his artwork, although he often experimented with different subjects for his work. His early pieces, characterized by a vibrant pop art style with bright colors and illustrative elements, were well received. At that time, he created playful, pop-style works featuring his pet dog as the central figure, often adding sci-fi elements such as machines and robots. In his senior year, Hara held his first solo exhibition at a gallery in Ginza, marking the beginning of his career as a painter. After graduating, Hara began teaching at a painting school while regularly exhibiting his work, supported by the Tsubaki Modern Gallery. Despite some recognition, the loss of his pet dog – a key motif in his early works – led him to question the direction of his art, and he gradually began to feel stuck.

A major turning point came when he discovered a new motif: a rabbit. While creating a postcard design for an exhibition at “Art & Bar Tsukino Usagi,” he painted a rabbit, sparking a series of ideas that centered on this theme. One reason for choosing this motif was growing up with familiarity with characters like Peter Rabbit and Bugs Bunny.

In 2017, during a stay at “Onomichi Art Biotop” in Hiroshima, he created Departure at Dawn, depicting a rabbit setting out on a raft toward an unknown world. This piece reflected Hara’s own feelings of uncertainty about the future and became a turning point in his career. Departure at Dawn won an award at the Nichido Gallery’s Showa-Kai Exhibition. The following year, at the 53rd Showa-Kai Exhibition, he was honored with the New York Prize. He also won the Grand Prix at The Contest in New York organized by the New York Art Wave Project, enabling him to hold a solo exhibition at the Ashok Jain Gallery in New York. In 2019, Hara received the Hakujitsu-kai Award and the DaitomoArt Prize at the 95th Hakujitsu-kai Exhibition. In 2023, he was honored with the SOMPO Museum of Art Prize at the 99th Hakujitsu-kai Exhibition, being proclaimed one of the talented young artists who will play a key role in the future of the art world. 

Currently, Hara primarily exhibits his work at the Nichido Gallery and the Hakujitsu-kai Exhibition while also holding solo exhibitions across Japan. In 2025, he is scheduled to present a retrospective exhibition at the Mori no Museum, exploring his artistic journey.

Hara’s works vividly portray the adventures of an anthropomorphized rabbit, Mr. Giasu, and his companion dog, John. These characters serve as reflections of both the viewer and the artist himself. His paintings are rich with physical elements such as landscapes, architecture, and vehicles. They also draw out scenarios of nostalgia, humor, admiration, and even fear, which bring up homages to master works and social connections. Through skillfully depicting these themes, Hara creates a fantastical and unique world that captivates viewers. We look forward to seeing how the journey of Mr. Giasu, as well as Hara himself, develops in the future.

A Guide to Exploring Imaginary Worlds

Here are some tips to help you enjoy the art of Taichi Hara. There’s no right or wrong way to experience his work, but based on my impressions, these points highlight what makes it truly special. I hope this guide enhances your journey through his paintings.

Two Stories in One

Hara often portrays the adventures of anthropomorphized characters, Giasu the rabbit and his companion, John. His works typically feature a dual narrative: their journey through imaginary worlds and fragments of the artist’s own story. The way Giasu and John journey through worldsinspired by the artist’s experiences resembles a star system, where characters from manga or anime are treated like movie actors and reappear in different works. The imagined worlds in his series, such as the New York Series or the Masterpieces Journey, shape unique and independent stories. Recent works, influenced by Japanese art, suggest that their journey is far from over.

Giasu as an Icon

Giasu's presence in Hara’s artwork makes it instantly recognizable, serving as both an icon and a self-portrait. This approach is reminiscent of Tsuguharu Fujita, a favorite of the École de Paris, who used his iconic bobbed hair and round glasses in self-portraits to shape his public image. Hara’s Portrait of Giasu (2014, Tsubaki Modern Art Gallery Collection) offers us an image of Hara as an artist and captures our hearts.

Imaginary Worlds and Contemporary Context

Hara’s large-scale works, such as Once Upon A Time (2022, Kasama Nichido Museum of Art Collection) and After the Rain (2023, Artist’s Collection, winner of the SOMPO Museum Prize at the Hakujitsu Exhibition), draw inspiration from masterpieces of Western painting, particularly Pieter Bruegel's The Tower of Babel (1563, Kunsthistorisches Museum). These pieces were created during the COVID-19 lockdown, during which Hara delved again into famous Western paintings through art books, online resources, and a visit to the Otsuka Museum of Art, renowned for its extensive collection of replicas of world-famous masterpieces. This exploration ultimately led to the creation of the Masterpieces Journey Series. They also resonate with contemporary global issues, such as Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with metaphors for the conflict embedded within the tower motif.

Easter Egg Hunt

The worlds Mr. Giasu explores are sprinkled with quotes from famous paintings, hidden like Easter eggs in video games. For example, Tonight is a Festival! (2018, Kasama Nichido Museum Collection) is based on Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa (1818–1819, Louvre Museum). The figures on the raft include Maja from Francisco de Goya's The Clothed Maja (1800–1805, Prado Museum) and the horse from Jacques-Louis David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801, Château de Malmaison). Additionally, Route 66, a symbol of the American Dream, appears in the painting. If you're familiar with the original works, you’ll appreciate the witty elements that make us smile. Animals like hippos and shoebills often appear, and in some works, Mr. Giasu is subtly hidden in small, surprising positions. In Session (2024, Artist’s Collection), viewers are invited to find Giasu themselves. Were you able to find him?

January 2025

Takuro Tsukano
Curator, Niigata City Art Museum

Born in Niigata Prefecture in 1996, Takuro Tsukano graduated in 2019 from the Faculty of Literature, Teikyo University, specializing in Art History and Cultural Heritage within the Department of History. In the same year, he began his career as a curator at the Kasama Nichido Museum of Art. Since 2024, he has been serving as a curator at the Niigata City Art Museum.

The Journeys of Mr. Giasu and John

Taichi Hara portrays the enchanting story of Mr. Giasu (pronounced “Gias”) and his loyal dog, John, as they journey through places from real-world destinations to famous paintings, transcending time and space. In works such as Journey to New York, Journey to the Grand Canyon, and Journey into Masterpieces, Mr. Giasu and John enjoy their adventures, immersing themselves in the sights, sounds, and emotions of every place they visit. Thanks to Hara’s incredible artistic skill and his own travel experiences with Mr. Giasu, viewers feel as though they are part of these journeys. 

Hara has been deeply inspired by Pieter Bruegel’s The Tower of Babelsince university and has created many works on this theme. In 2023, while working on his painting After the Rain, Hara also crafted a small model, or “maquette,” to help him create large, detailed works with accuracy. The story of The Tower of Babel, originating from the Book of Genesis in the Bible, tells of humanity’s attempt to build a tower to reach heaven. Angered by their arrogance, God makes them speak different languages and scatters them across the earth. This story resonates with modern issues, such as the rise of AI and global conflicts, raising questions that are still important today.

As Mr. Giasu and John continue their journey to find their place in the world, they inspire us to move forward, even in uncertain times. Their determination reflects Hara’s own approach to life and art. We look forward to more adventures with Mr. Giasu and John through Hara’s future creations.

Masuda Hitomi

Curator, Chiba Citizens' Gallery Inage