08/11/2026
So long to the Dog Days of Summer, but hello to the second day of this week's Dogs in Art installation. Each day this week, we'll be sharing a special pup from art—both modern and historical—that captures everything we love about our four-legged friends!
Growing up in a rural, secluded prefecture of Japan, Yashimoto Nara spent a lot of time by himself, cooped up inside (this region is known for their especially long winters) with a comic book, his record player, and, of course, his dog. For this reason, he came to find that it was far easier to communicate with animals than with other human beings, a fact that rang especially true when he went off to school in Germany (where he did not speak the language).
In turn, dogs became central to Nara's artwork— perhaps his most famous piece, "Your Dog" (2002), is a giant white fiberglass dog, a larger-than-life pup that, in spite of its size, has a warm and inviting disposition.
From his children's book "A Dog Who Wanted A Friend" (1999), wherein a massive dog finds companionship with a young girl who climbs up his back, the artwork featured is one of many where dogs take the main stage in Yoshimoto Nara's work.
