“The Doraemon Exhibition Singapore 2022” opened earlier on the 5th of November at the National Museum of Singapore much to the excitement of international Doraemon fans! While we are all familiar with Doraemon and his friends, this mini series brings the spotlight to the 30 artists behind the creations you will see at the exhibition. Whether or not you have visited TDES 2022, stay on to be inspired to create your very own Doraemon!
Artist #1 Makoto AIDA
Born in 1965 in Niigata, Japan, Makoto Aida has been creating contemporary artwork since the 1990s. He has since become one of the most preeminent figures in the field of contemporary art in Japan. Aida deals with provocative themes providing social critiques of the modernization of Japan and confrontation of the realities of Japan’s history. His works spans across a wide variety of media including sculptures, video, photography, paintings and manga.
A recurring theme of Aida’s works focus on preadolescent girls being objectified into commodities by mainstream media and the sexual industry. In the work titled ‘Blender’, Aida paints naked girls being blended into a blood bath. This is a piece expected from grotesque artist, Aida.
Canvas, Acrylic
Image credit: https://mizuma-art.co.jp/en/artists/aida-makoto/
Aida was an aspiring manga artists since his early days and remains heavily inspired by the portrayals of characters in manga. Putting manga and young girls together, are you able to guess which of the piece in the exhibition was done by Makoto Aida?
Acrylic and oil on canvas
THE DORAEMON EXHIBITION SINGAPORE 2022 ©Fujiko-Pro
Image credit: Doraemon Fan Club, Singapore
If you have been to the gallery, you may have noticed that ‘kisei-no-seiki ~Air~’ had the shortest introductory panel with no explanation given. This is the typical style of Aida as he describes himself as someone who cannot use words but draws to explain things. Did his background provide you with a different interpretation of this art piece?
If you are a fan of Makoto Aida’s works, do check out Mizuma Art Gallery to find out more about his exhibition plans.
Artist #2 Kayo UME
A street photographer, Kayo Ume brings about a nostalgia vibe to the Doraemon exhibition. Born in 1981 Ishikawa, Japan, Ume has been capturing scenes in her everyday life. Her first photo book “Ume-me” in 2006, showing people in “funny situations” sold over 110,000 copies and is loved widely in Japan, probably because of the light hearted humor and relatability.
Image credit: https://www.pocko.com/kayo-ume/
As a fan of Doraemon since young, it is no surprise that she has many Doraemon objects in her very own house and have precious memories of them! These memories are immortalized as photos with subjects including her grandfather and young children spending time with Doraemon in different ways in everyday life.
Inkjet print on pongee
THE DORAEMON EXHIBITION SINGAPORE 2022 ©Fujiko-Pro
Image credit: Doraemon Fan Club, Singapore
While some poses in her photos provide an amusing outlook of her family’s daily lives, it also gives a sense of a heartwarming story as we see the opposing ages of her photo subjects. Do you remember when did you first started liking Doraemon? Would you be growing old with Doraemon?
If you like her photography style, check out her book for more photo inspirations.
Follow our webpage to look out for more artists feature at the The Doraemon Exhibition Singapore 2022!
Admission Information
Ticket prices
SGD 30 for Adults
SGD 25 for Individuals under 18 years old
Free-of-Charge for children under 6 years old
All prices include tax.
Present a certificate or student ID to confirm age and affiliation
Ticketing Platform
Opening Hours
Exhibition: 10AM – 7PM (Last admission: 6.30PM)
Merchandise Store: 10AM – 7PM
Doraemon Café: 10AM – 6:30PM
