Yu Uchida

Yu Uchida is known for the works of an adorable polar bear, which criticizes mass consumption and production. One of his most famous works is of melting polar bear popsicles made out of glass. It is a series titled Cool It, which ironically expresses the issue with society’s mass consumption. He poi...

Yu Uchida is known for the works of an adorable polar bear, which criticizes mass consumption and production. One of his most famous works is of melting polar bear popsicles made out of glass. It is a series titled Cool It, which ironically expresses the issue with society’s mass consumption. He points out a contradiction in society today through this series. The polar bears of his work look adorable at first glance, but some see a forced, uncanny smile once looked at in detail. The smile is based on the typical smiles of famous cartoon characters, and the colors of the polar bears' costumes and the background symbolize Japanese "kawaii" pop culture. Uchida tries to show the naiveness and indifference of environmental issues within the "kawaii" culture by his cool it series.