Powerful dolls, 2020
Kumikaho Oshima  

Sculpture : LED, plastic, plexiglass · 28 x 71 x 20 cm 11 x 28 x 7.9 inch

€5,000 5 000 €
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Shipped from: France

Delivery to: France Free delivery

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Verified Reviews : 9.6/10
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About the artwork

Type

Sculpture : Unique artwork

Condition

Artwork sold in perfect condition

Authenticity

Sold with certificate of Authenticity from the artist

Invoice from the gallery

Signature

Engraved signature

Technique & Support

LED, plastic, plexiglass

Dimensions ( cminch )

28 x 71 x 20 cm 11 x 28 x 7.9 inch Height x Width x Depth

Sold by

Credentials

Vetted seller since 2014

Description

Powerful Dolls is a luminous artwork by Kumikaho Oshima from the series Luminous Transactions : Barbie Chronicles in Currency Boxes, where the artist presents a dense accumulation of plastic Barbie dolls enclosed within a LED-backlit case whose inner walls are printed with repeated portraits of Abraham Lincoln derived from American dollar bills. This visual juxtaposition between a playful global icon and a historical political figure immediately establishes a dialogue between innocence, authority, and the construction of value in contemporary culture.
The composition relies on compression and repetition, transforming each Barbie figure into part of a collective body rather than an individual identity. The tightly layered dolls evoke the logic of mass production and the globalization of beauty standards, while the multiplied Lincoln portraits introduce a counterpoint of institutional permanence and economic power. Oshima orchestrates a subtle confrontation between standardized femininity and historical symbolism, encouraging viewers to reflect on how identity is shaped by broader socio-economic narratives.
The LED backlighting plays a decisive role in shaping perception. The glow enhances the plastic surfaces of the dolls while casting faint shadows across the engraved faces of Lincoln, creating a dynamic visual tension between foreground and background. This luminous environment transforms the case into a contemporary reliquary, where symbols of desire and authority coexist, inviting contemplation on the ways popular culture absorbs and reinterprets historical imagery.
Conceptually, Powerful Dolls examines how collective imagination is influenced by the circulation of icons. Barbie becomes a metaphor for aspirational identity, while Lincoln’s presence evokes governance, legacy, and the enduring power of national narratives. The work suggests that personal dreams often unfold within frameworks shaped by economic and political systems, revealing the invisible structures that inform self-perception.
Through this piece, Oshima subtly addresses the psychological dimensions of recognition and conformity, particularly within the context of contemporary Japanese society. The uniform posture of the dolls reflects the pressures of belonging, while the omnipresence of monetary imagery underscores the pervasive influence of value systems on personal ambition. The artwork ultimately encourages viewers to question how desire, power, and representation intersect in shaping cultural consciousness.
A major member of the CrazyNoodles studio, founded by Hiro Ando, Oshima situates this work within a Neo-Pop vocabulary where light, repetition, and iconic imagery function as analytical tools. Her approach transforms familiar symbols into reflective surfaces that reveal deeper emotional and ideological currents beneath their polished exterior.
Through its precise structure, layered symbolism, and immersive luminosity, Powerful Dolls stands out as a compelling example of contemporary Japanese Neo-Pop. With its conceptual depth, refined execution, and immediate visual impact, Powerful Dolls asserts itself as a highly collectible piece, particularly suited for collectors of contemporary Japanese art, Neo-Pop aesthetics, and works exploring the relationships between identity, power, and cultural memory.

Street art

Icons

Pop Art

Abraham Lincoln

Barbie

Dollars

Neo-Pop

Tokyo

Beige

Japan  • 1986

Presentation

Kumikaho Oshima is a Japanese artist born in 1986 in Tokyo.

All of her work revolves around two main topics; Barbie dolls and American dollars. She seeks to illustrate the actual condition of young women in Japan through her satirical work by criticizing the excessive implantation of Western tendencies in Japanese culture and art as well as the appropriation of capitalist symbols and values. The artist evokes the revolution of Japanese women's manners and desires in her paintings, who in a traditional and limited society began to perceive money as a source of power. Barbie dolls represent the Western physical ideal and the dollar bills play the role of an essential good to female emancipation.

From an aesthetic point of view, her work belongs to the Japanese Neo-pop art movement represented by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Oshima work is subtle, she limits the use of colors, she prefers to use earthyand fresh tonalities, which can sometimes give an impression of whashed out to her work but this impression is compensated by the sensual and emotional scenes that she depicts. She uses certain photographic techniques such as zooming or not placing the subject in the center of the frame without making the scenes more dramatic or dynamic.

With time, Kumikaho Oshima has developed a strong and easily recognizable style. Her work is present at the Jacob Paullet Gallery.

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