Yoshitomo Nara - Slash with a Knife (In the Floating World Series (1999)

Slash with a Knife (In the Floating World Series (1999)

Artist: Yoshitomo Nara (b. 1959)
Medium: Woodcut print / Fuji Xerox copy on paper
Dimensions: 41.3 × 28.5 cm (16¼ × 11¼ in.)
Edition: 50
Signature: Hand-signed and dated “–99” lower right
Condition: Excellent
Literature: Rothenberger (ed.), In the Floating World, pp. 66–71; Illustrated on page 38 of the catalog

Description:

Yoshitomo Nara’s Slash with a Knife (In the Floating World Series) (1999) stands as one of the most iconic and sought-after works from the artist’s early printmaking period. Produced as a Fuji Xerox woodcut print in an edition of only 50, the piece exemplifies Nara’s rebellious visual language — a poignant mix of innocence, anger, and emotional isolation.

Depicting one of his emblematic wide-eyed figures wielding a knife, the image embodies the tension between vulnerability and defiance that runs throughout Nara’s oeuvre. The In the Floating World series reflects his ongoing dialogue with pop culture, Japanese woodblock tradition, and punk subculture, merging handmade imperfection with raw emotional honesty.

Each print is hand-signed and dated “–99” by the artist. Works from this edition are extensively documented in Rothenberger’s monograph and remain highly collectible milestones in Nara’s early career, marking his transition toward global recognition at the turn of the millennium.

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