Happy City News found a universe hiding in Houston’s Museum District: Yoshitaka Amano: Big Bang is on view at Asia Society Texas Center, 1370 Southmore Boulevard, through Sunday, February 7, 2027. The exhibition surveys some 30 years of monumental multimedia paintings by one of Japan’s most celebrated artists.
Amano’s name rings bells for generations of fans: he helped create iconic characters for Speed Racer and Gatchaman, shaped Vampire Hunter D, and became the principal concept artist for the Final Fantasy video game saga in 1987. Big Bang shows what he paints for himself, beyond commercial pressures and deadlines, and the results are transformative and hypnotic.
Highlights include New York Nights II (1997), one of his first oil paintings, a surreal scene over 50 feet long; the Mozart series, freewheeling paintings on gold leaf panels conceived as an homage to the composer; and Big Bang (2018), a swirling maelstrom of characters, creatures and worlds that grew from his Final Fantasy XV concept art. Art Nouveau lines, Pop Art color, Japanese folklore and screen painting all flow together.
Admission is $8, and free for ages 6 and under, students with ID and Asia Society Texas members. Docent-led art tours run November 21, December 19 and January 16, a perfect way to journey through worlds upon worlds without leaving Houston.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
