There is a generation of Japanese painters who have the ability to create work that speaks to a sense of childhood innocence and youthful rebellion. There is a preciousness and rough, almost faded edge to the works. Yoshitomo Nara, Mr., Aya Takano, and En Iwamura, all in their own way, have shown that anime and cartoons can permeate contemporary art in a myriad of ways and remain fresh and exhilarating for the viewer.

Okayama, Japan-born painter Mayuka Yamamoto is known for portraying and painting her child subjects in animal suits, or even fusing them with animal features.