DARK TALES Tokyo artist So PineNut’s stirring drawings pull from spiritual influences. Often referencing figures and narratives from the Bible, the works carry darker Judeo-Christian themes rendered with both ancient and contemporary characters. The artist’s practice includes these graphite works, plus painting, graphic novels, printmaking, pottery, and more. [Source: Hi Fructose / Andy Smith] Discover […]
DUPLICATE FEATURES Based in Chiba, Yoshitoshi Kanemaki carves small, disturbing forms that allure to the duality he finds. “Looking deep into the world in which we live, we realize that everyone holds hesitations or contradictions that can never be reconciled”, he says. And so he attempts to project those emotions onto his sculptures, which he […]
HAUNTING DOLLS Japanese artist Mari Shimizu‘s gorgeous and haunting doll creations are absolutely captivating. Shimizu is entirely self taught and has been building these dolls since about 2000. Each of her dolls feels as if it is part of it’s own story, a shadowy vision we can only guess at. Some emerge from religious reliquaries, […]
A POST-HUMANISM Drawing on Japanese drawing traditions mixed with South African Culture, the work of Jamy van Zyl connects the tensions and troubles felt in these communities, but smashes them head on with all their surrounding glory and wonderment. “I would describe my work as self-expressive. My first major theme that I am still creating […]
JAPANESE CHIMERAS Japanese ancient folklore is a mystical world of monsters, ghosts and goblins. Sculpture artist Ryo Arai reveals its dark secrets with his surprisingly lifelike characters. The seductive spider woman is named Jorogumo, a type of ghost or goblin that was a well-known figure in Edo fables. Legend has it that this creature would […]
THE HUMAN FACE FOR PROJECTION The human face, long a medium of expression for the soul, is used by Japanese photographer Miki Takahashi as a surface for projection. Through double exposure, the Toyko-based artist allows portraits of herself to reveal her inner feelings. The merged cityscapes of her “Inside” series become vessels of feeling, emotion, […]
