Tokita Misuzu’s Ruby’s Apple 04 (2023, Acrylic on Panel) presents a whimsical yet poignant reinterpretation of iconic symbolism through the lens of innocence. The circular composition features a wide-eyed character rendered in soft, muted greens, their visage framed by the unmistakable crown of the Statue of Liberty. In their hand rests a bright red apple—the sole burst of vivid color—which stands out sharply against the subdued palette, drawing attention to themes of temptation, purity, and choice.

The character’s childlike expression, with its wide gaze and small, delicate features, transforms the grandeur of the Statue of Liberty into something intimate and approachable, subverting its usual connotations of power and freedom. Instead, Misuzu infuses the image with vulnerability and wonder, as if reframing liberty itself as a tender, personal experience.

Through Ruby’s Apple 04, Misuzu continues her exploration of cultural icons and emotional universality, weaving together playfulness, symbolism, and nostalgia. The work blurs the line between the monumental and the personal, suggesting that even the grandest ideals—liberty, innocence, desire—are experienced through the fragile lens of individual imagination.