Keiichi Tanaami [Photo provided to China Daily]

Keiichi Tanaami, 82-years-old and one of postwar Japan's leading pop artists, is hailed as a magician of visual images and known for the absurdity of the fantasy worlds constructed in his work, ranging from paintings, installations to graphic designs.

An exhibition that reviews his work since the 1960s is now on at the K11 gallery in Guangzhou, a shopping and art experience mall, and will run through Sept 2.

His work transmits an overwhelming visual effect that is closely associated with his childhood experiences during the war, while the weird, sophisticated patterns and his distinctive vocabulary of creation are derivative of Japanese folk arts. His artwork blends dreams, memories and illusions into the imagery of pop culture.