Yesterday, my friends and I were able to visit the Japanese American National Museum's Hello Kitty retrospective, "Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty", which opened in the LA-based museum last month. Running through April 26, the exhibit celebrates everything Hello Kitty to commemorate her 40th anniversary. From backpacks and notebooks to toasters and even motor oil, the variety of products that have featured Sanrio's most iconic character is seriously staggering. Here, you get to see some of the most impressive of these. You even get to see Hello Kitty outfits and accessories once worn by celebrity Kitty fans ranging from Cameron Diaz to Katy Perry. (You can even get up close and personal with a Lady Gaga performance dress made of nothing but Hello Kitty stuffed toys!) But perhaps my favorite part of the exhibit is a complete art gallery filled with paintings, sculptures, and interactive works all inspired by Hello Kitty. The artists featured represent both American and Japanese artists, and include such popular ones as Audrey Kawasaki, Gary Baseman, D*face, and Yoskay Yamamoto. Check them out in the attached pictures! Photo 1: The 'halfway point' of this two-story exhibit Photo 2: "Hi Kitty", Audrey Kawasaki Photo 3: "Much Loved Kitty", Mark Nixon Photo 4: "Uh Oh Kitty Ho", D*Face Photo 5: "Hello Kitty Kaiju", Mark Nagata Photo 6: "Space Kitty", Yoskay Yamamoto Photo 7: "Melty Kitty Dream", Buff Monster Photo 8: "Hello Kitty in Bloom", Michael Courville Photo 9: "Play Date", Gary Baseman Photo 10: "Hello Lincoln", Scott Scheidly
