Jun Oson, born in 1979 in Aichi, Japan, is an illustrator and artist living in Kamakura known for his nihilistic yet pop-oriented style. His artworks have a stateless style based on the influence of manga and animations that he has been unconsciously influenced by since childhood with additonal elements from Western artists and social commentary, notably KAWS and satirical cartoonism such as Futurama.
In 2005, he garnered attention for illustrations featuring faces shaped like peanuts. His subjects incorporate unsystematic characteristics resulting in a style that transcends nationality – perhaps similar to the way Japan, which had maintained a unique culture, has been influenced by the West creating a specific hybrid culture.
The work features individuals of various nationalities with various skin tones, as well as monsters and robots. Diversity has been a constant theme in Onson’s work since the start of his career and is foundational to the artists values. An experienced and well-known commercial illustrator in Japan, Oson’s current work includes aesthetic elements fundatmental to his profession with dinstinct graphic lines, block colour pigments and illustrative characters.
Jun Oson has participated in several individual and group exhibitions including his 2019 solo exhibition “Share Land” in Beijing and his 2020 solo exhibition “DISTANCE” in Diesel, Tokyo, both demonstrating the artists steadfast transition from illustrator to artist. In recent years, he has been active worldwide, including in countries like the UK, France, Spain, Dubai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Beijing, both in exhbitions and producing new studio works.
Selected Exhibitions
2024 Solo “PEOPEL, FLOWER, ONE at Moosey Art Gallery in London, UK
2023 Solo “LOOKING FOR” at Soft Corner in Seoul, Korea
2023 Solo “E.T. x Jun Oson” at Isetan Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan _Solo “MOTREY” at Harbour City in Hong Kong
2023 Solo “Welcome to JONP at and wander in Tokyo, Japan _Solo “BORE” at Meson Osmen Gallery in Paris, France
2022 Solo “STARE” at Gallery Target in Tokyo, Japan
2022 Solo “Just Looking” at Moosey Art Gallery in London, UK
2022 Solo “WHATEVER” at The Anzai Gallery in Tokyo, Japan
2022 Duo “Byond The Characters” at ArtLife Gallery in Miami, USA
2021 Solo “Back to the future x Jun Oson” at Isetan Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan Solo
2021 “D_I_S_T_A_N_C_E in HK” at Gallery Ascend in Hong Kong
2020 Solo “D_I_S_T_A_N_C_E” at Diesel Art Gallery in Tokyo, Japan
2019 Solo “Share Land” in Beijing, China
