The theme of my art is a soft-landing of Japan’s mystique on New York culture by merging kanji, which are Chinese characters used in Japanese writing, into highly abstracted tags seen in street art. Historically, Japanese culture has contained many things that could be best described as mysterious, which defy rational explanations even by the natives. For example, the combined use of three writing systems, as well as polytheistic religious cultures. The elements of mystery are found in contemporary Japan as well. Japan’s readiness in accepting diversity of religions and cuisines from around the world, for instance, which can be attributed to the fact that people are traditionally accustomed to living with mixed existences as in polytheism. Exporting the contemporary culture alone will not get the full picture of this mystique across to the outside world. That is why I incorporate kanji, which is over a thousand years old, into my art to introduce the viewers to Japan’s non-rational and mysterious culture and spirit. Eventually, I hope to merge it with New York culture.
In street art, alphabets are painted in such abstract forms that they are hardly legible. In fact, they are often more pictures than letters. The point here is to stamp an image on the viewer’s mind. It is to be seen rather than read. Letter abstractions are also seen in Japanese calligraphy. I believe that such abstractions are universally embraced because the visual and artistic nature of writing symbols is recognized. I certainly recognize the visual, mysterious, and artistic nature of kanji. By fusing kanji with the stamping effect of ornate street art writing, I aim to soft-land the mystique of Japan in cultures where Chinese characters are not used.
