Launching price: 250 Euros

“But then,” said Alice, “if the world has no meaning, what prevents us from inventing one?”
— Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

In her series of works centered on anthropomorphized rabbit figures, Deng Yu traces an alternative art history where viewers are invited to approach art with a “playful spirit.” In the piece “Yayoi,” she creates a “rabbitified” portrait of Yayoi Kusama, dressed in a tunic covered with the characteristic dots of the Japanese artist’s universe, and sporting her iconic red bob haircut. Despite its “cute” appearance, this work should not distract us from its depth. It not only highlights Deng Yu’s admiration for her elder’s work, but also brings attention to Kusama’s mental health, as she has lived in a psychiatric hospital since the 1970s. By personifying the plush toy Kusama always has with her during interviews, Deng Yu alludes to the world of childhood as an escape from the harshness of the “real” world, while inviting us to delve into imaginary worlds that both artists and viewers are encouraged never to stop inventing.