Foreword by Takashi Murakami

In his Pacific Northwest studio during the isolation of COVID-19, Mark Ryden began a series of his iconic half-animal, half-plush creatures that further explored his reverence for these beings, who are guides through a landscape of the unknown. The figures in these paintings are neither human nor animal, they are spiritual entities that create a bridge between the human and animal worlds in which so much disharmony exists.

This book features all of the original portraits of Ryden's mysterious and mythical creatures. The resulting gallery of enchanted characters embodies the artist's meticulously realized signature blend of archetype, kitsch, and narrative mysticism.

Mark Ryden'sYakalina Secrets features works from two of the artist's exhibitions, organized in collaboration with Emmanuel Perrotin and Kasmin Gallery: Animal Secrets in Paris and Yakalina 9 in Tokyo.