4. Yoshitomo Nara

Yoshitomo Nara, Fuck 2002. © Yoshitomo Nara. Image courtesy of Christie’s

This deceptively simple painting by Yoshitomo Nara was sold at auction in London in June 2008 for a dazzling $672,139.

Yoshotomo Nara, Too Young to Die Ashtray. $70.

This image is taken from a painting by Nara entitled Too Young To Die (2001). As with much of Nara’s work, it asks us to identify with a particularly youthful brand of defiance. He’s part of a generation of young Japanese artists inspired by Japanese popular culture, such as manga. His work has been exhibited at many museums, including the MCA and is represented by Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York. Take this home and embrace mortality.