Inside – A Solo Exhibition by Okokume

JPS Art Gallery is pleased to present INSIDE, an exhibition of paintings by Okokume, on view at the gallery’s Hong Kong location in LANDMARK ATRIUM. The exhibition marks the artist’s third solo show with the gallery in Hong Kong. The presented works are to-date, the most intimate series created by the artist – exploring the inside of her mind and soul.  

In this exhibition, Okokume roots her pop surrealistic works in subjective feelings and experience, where she uses her signature character, Cosmic Girl, as her spirit to learn about her feelings and breaking down emotional walls. The paintings are personal and emotionally raw, which the artist manifested through her intense coloration of the Cosmic World in which the characters are set in the dreamy environment that heightens a pervasive tension, showing the inside of her world – a place where the artist was able to freely express herself. 

Okokume began painting Cosmic Girl in 2015. The character was first created by the artist as her attempt to raise awareness of the environmental problems we are currently facing. The pink-haired and turquoise-skinned spirit roams in the universe to preach the importance of protecting our planet. In 2018, accompanying her second solo exhibition, the artist created an educational illustration book for children to highlight her message. In this exhibition, we see a personal maturity of Okokume, which is reflected in the significant shift in the role of Cosmic Girl.