Aya Takano’s oeuvre is one permanently suspended in various nebulous, oneiric realms, populated by a revolving troupe of doe-eyed, naïve, child-like figures. Painted in 2011, I Found A New Road is composed on a crescent moon-shaped canvas, inducing the viewer into a dreamlike state. At first glance, we are drawn to the portrait of a silver-haired female figure entranced by a ghostly and mythical creature at the foreground of the composition. While Takano does not clearly delineate space, time, or perspective, our eye naturally follows the continuous narrative of the female figure engaged in activities of leisure, from drinking a can of soda to riding a bicycle. The artist establishes an ethereal tone by placing the female figure into this timeless space against soft hues of pink, blue, and yellow. Takano further renders a palpable atmosphere through her application of acrylic paint and quick brushstrokes, which have a pastel, sketch-like quality that demonstrates her influences from Japanese manga and illustration.

I Found A New Road reflects characteristics of the contemporary Japanese Superflat art movement, through which artists such as Takano and Takashi Murakami hope to draw attention to Japan’s cultural losses, post-World War II to commercialisation and the Western world. Takano’s composition progresses from a dream to quotidian activities to industrialisation at the upper tip of the crescent where we can identify archetypal features of an urbanised world - ship, car, cellular tower, and highway ramps. While offering us a glimpse into her imagination, this work also suggests Takano’s perception and perhaps criticism of society’s burgeoning demands in the modern age.