Materials: acrylic paint, map of Tokyo (around Yoyogi station on Yamanote line), hologram sheet, plastic pieces of beach, cement, resin, oil-based pen, cotton cloth, panel
This series expresses an Ark of Life swimming along a time axis, with motifs that follow the hierarchical structure of living organisms, from cells to whales (individuals) to maps (society). By adding the material of plastic fragments collected on the beach, the work raises social issues that we are facing today. Specifically, on a map of Tokyo, the largest city in Japan, the work cynically expresses the contemporary society based on mass production and mass disposal by re-creating the city with waste products that have been drained from the city. The Buddhist motifs suggest a future of redemption.
As a modern expression respecting traditional Japanese decorations such as mother-of-pearl inlays, holographic sheets reflecting the era of mass production were used for the background. The work is not framed, but a string is attached to the back of the work for wall hanging.
