David Zwirner will present Yoshitomo Nara’s first solo exhibition with the gallery this fall, bringing new paintings, drawings, and sculptures to two New York locations.
Opening October 29, 2026, the exhibition spans David Zwirner’s galleries at 533 West 19th Street and 537 West 20th Street. It marks Nara’s first major solo presentation in New York in nearly a decade.
The exhibition brings together new paintings from 2026, large-format drawings, recent sculptures, and early works from the 1980s, all selected by Nara. Together, the two presentations trace both recent developments and longstanding ideas within the Japanese artist’s practice.
New paintings explore uncertainty and direct gaze
At 537 West 20th Street, Nara presents his latest two-dimensional works. The paintings feature front-facing figures whose direct gazes meet the viewer with a restrained intensity.
A muted and nuanced palette gives the new paintings an atmospheric quality. Meanwhile, diffused brushwork creates layers of depth across their surfaces.
Nara has also developed a new process for these works. He first sketches compositions in colored pencil before applying translucent acrylic paint washes.
The figures appear in natural poses, often with tear-filled eyes. As a result, the paintings convey a quiet sense of uncertainty rather than overt drama.
The exhibition also includes recent monochrome drawings made with industrial oil-based paint sticks. Alongside them are Nara’s “line” paintings, which translate rapid notebook sketches onto canvas.
For these works, Nara projects and reanimates bold drawings while retaining the spontaneous quality of the original marks. Consequently, the paintings preserve a direct connection between drawing and finished image.
Thirteen monumental bronze heads take over 533 West 19th Street
Across the street, David Zwirner’s 533 West 19th Street location will feature thirteen monumental bronze head sculptures created in 2024.
Each sculpture enlarges a palm-sized clay prototype made by Nara by a factor of ten. This dramatic change in scale transforms intimate handmade forms into imposing architectural presences.
The sculptures are finished in matte white urethane paint. Their soft appearance contrasts with their monumental dimensions, creating a calm and contemplative atmosphere.
The works recall the “snow monsters” Nara encountered during snowy winters in his childhood. By enlarging the simple facial expressions of his small clay prototypes, the artist also investigates how scale can alter psychological perception.
Light and shadow move across the sculptures’ smooth surfaces. Therefore, the installation changes subtly as viewers move around the monumental heads.
Yoshitomo Nara returns to New York with two-part showcase
The two exhibitions offer complementary perspectives on Nara’s practice. The 537 West 20th Street presentation focuses on the evolution of his painting and drawing, while the 533 West 19th Street installation emphasizes scale, material, and sculpture.
Together, the presentations connect Nara’s newest works with earlier stages of his career. Early works from the 1980s, selected by the artist himself, further extend that dialogue across time.
The exhibition also demonstrates the continuing relationship between Nara’s intimate visual language and his interest in changing the physical scale of his subjects.
Yoshitomo Nara’s inaugural solo exhibition with David Zwirner opens October 29, 2026, at 533 West 19th Street and 537 West 20th Street in New York.