Paintings of Tetsuya Ishida, late Japanese artist who was a prophet of urban alienation, get major showcase at Gagosian Gallery in New York

Tetsuya Ishida was a Japanese artist known for his unique and thought-provoking paintings. His work, which often depicted urban alienation and the dehumanizing effects of technology, has gained significant attention posthumously. Ishida's art was a stark contrast to the prevalent 'kawaii' or cute aesthetics of Japan's pop culture during the 1990s. His work was largely ignored in his home country until a television documentary in 2006 brought him into the limelight. Now, the Gagosian Gallery in New York is hosting a major exhibition of his work, titled 'My Anxious Self'. Ishida's paintings, such as 'Gripe' (1996), which portrays a ticket collector with crab claws for arms, are often described as surreal. However, unlike classical surrealists, Ishida was more interested in social issues than psychology. His work also diverged from the visual style of anime, despite drawing on its themes of human-robot hybridization and metamorphosis. Many of Ishida's early paintings depict workers becoming part of the machinery that surrounds them, a commentary on the dehumanizing effects of technology. His work also critiqued the rigid and strict school institutions in Japan. Despite the recurring themes of loneliness and alienation in his work, Ishida was not a recluse. He was part of the world, with friends and girlfriends, and held jobs to support himself. What set Ishida apart from his contemporaries was his commitment to social art and his reflection of the distorted values in society. His work was influenced by events such as the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan, and the sarin attacks on the Tokyo subway the same year. His art is a complex representation of the overall culture of Japanese society.