(If you somehow missed part 1, check it out here!)
The second part of the Yoshitaka Amano art exhibition at The Warehouse is here! A whole new set of paintings is now on display--this time showcasing Amano's more commercial work, like things related to anime, video games, etc. (If you missed seeing the first part of the exhibition, some of his ink and paint works from the first part ARE still on display in both the lobby and the small "room" near the end of the main area!)
When you first enter the exhibition, it's hard not to notice one of the biggest and most iconic pieces hanging on the far wall, "Take Off", which is an over 13 foot wide dynamic portrait of Ken the Eagle. Classic anime fans will instantly recognize the leader of Tatsunoko's 70s classic, Gatchaman (which was released stateside first as Battle of the Planets, then G-Force later). It's very fitting for a piece like this to be part of the exhibition, as Tatsunoko's anime studio was where Amano first made a name for himself. All of the new pieces in this phase of the exhibition were actually painted on large aluminum sheets with automotive paint. While this is a very different medium than what he's usually known for, it gives these pieces extremely clean lines and intense colors. Since the subject of "Take Off" is an anime character, this actually works really well because it almost gives it the look of a giant, wall-sized animation cell. And like an animation cell, it's fun to get to look up close at it to see all the faint paint splotches and tiny imperfections you might not see from across the room that prove that; yes, this was created with real human hands.
Trying to capture the full piece was hard!
Chocobos!!!
Something I wasn't expecting to see in the collection was the piece Amano did for the release of Final Fantasy 15 called "Big Bang". This massive piece from 2018 is fairly well known--even if you don't know it by name, Square not only made a 3D version of it for promotional videos, but also for a Playstation 4 theme for those who bought the digital deluxe version of the game. There are SO many fun details to find in this one, from Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto riding together in their signature Regalia, to all the different Final Fantasy creatures and summons included. (One of my favorites were the tiny little Chocobos hanging out near the bottom. So cute!) This painting feels so energetic and powerful, even when some elements feel almost chaotic. I'm always wowed over the fact that even when using a much more precise medium, Yoshitaka Amano never loses that distinct style that unmistakably makes it one of his pieces.
The other paintings I was excited to see were part of Amano's ongoing and ever-growing "Candy Girls" series. The majority of fans' first exposure to the "Candy Girls" was for a collection of fashion, accessories, and goods sold for a limited time at Mitsukoshi Ginza in 2017. Most of the Candy Girl paintings are known for being simple portrait-style creations of very Tatsunoko-styled, large-eyed girls in everything from bright colors to calm pastels. The pieces on display at The Warehouse were all from different years, and while there are slight variations, they absolutely fit together in the same series. Something I thought was really amazing was that on some of the Candy Girl paintings, he extends the artwork to the top, sides, and bottoms of the metal "canvas"--a detail that you would only get to see if you saw the physical piece in person! This felt like a special treat, as a museum visitor. I got a few photos of some of the angles, but not all of them (in case anyone was thinking of going and wanted to be surprised.)
The full "Candy Girls Universe"!
I didn't realize that Amano had actually started the concept of his "Candy Girls" long before he had made the series of paintings we know now. The vibrant, rainbow-colored piece "Candy Girls Universe" was done in 2014 and stands at over a whopping 15 feet tall. While not nearly as big as the piece "New York Nights II" from the first part of the exhibition, I was almost just as entranced with it as I was with "New York Nights II". It too had so much happening throughout the piece, I had to sit with it for a while to take it all in. It's a whirl-wind of sci-fi stylized girls, aliens, and fantasy tech that is somehow both cartoonishly strange and whimsical. There's even a touch of body horror going on in it, with a head cracking open to reveal candy-colored ribbons inside, and glittery girls in Jetsons-style outfits, flying through the sky with no arms or legs. It felt a little reminiscent of the Superflat art movement, with it's shiny colors and minimal use of shading. I wish there was more information on this piece, because I'd love to know not just Amano's thoughts behind it's creation, but HOW he put something so massive and detailed together. Considering it was done entirely with automotive paint, too, that had to have made this piece incredibly time consuming! And because of his use of car paint, some of the girls' colors are actually in glitter! I tried to capture the effect in a photo, but because the medium is extremely high-shine, it's really hard to photograph....But looks extremely cool in person.
While this time around, I wasn't able to go to this part of the exhibition with all the same friends as before, this was still an incredibly fun trip. Even in the pieces Amano does commercially, you can still see the creativity and energy he injects into every piece he does. I left this trip feeling very....fulfilled and grateful for getting to see art from an artist I'd been a fan of for decades at this point up close and personal. It was an excellent reminder to me on just how much I love going to museums and soaking up things from the imaginations of others. It can be very uplifting and inspiring, especially if you've been running into some creator's block (which I had definitely been feeling lately).
If you're in the DFW area, you have until July 18th, 2026 to check out the final part of the Yoshitaka Amano exhibition at The Warehouse!
This article was originally written exclusively for paid members of my ko-fi! They got to read it first before anyone else, and their version includes more photos. If you'd like to support what I do, check out my monthly subscriptions on ko-fi here!
