Nara is known for his cartoonish doodle-like drawings, sculptures, and paintings of animals and children. His most celebrated and iconic works feature an adorable white dog with a red nose.

One of his well-known works from 1997 is titled Dog from your Childhood (Prototype), which was a model for the 1999 Model from your Childhood.

Nara’s fiberglass sculptures are usually glossy white and resemble komainu, mythical lion-like animal statues commonly placed at the entrance to shrines in Japan as guardians. All versions of the dog are hand-constructed with Styrofoam and painted cotton. It is quite easy to see the artist’s process in the work, which adds to their “home-made” quality.

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