1. Theme of this issue
“Sharing human rights issues with the world and not letting them fade away”
2. My Statement
Introduction
In the past few years, the world situation has become more unstable.
I have two children and I am worried about their future. Sometimes I wonder if it is safe to continue living in Japan.
The situation is going from bad to worse.
( hmmm .........)
I know that what one artist can do is very small, but what can I do to make the world a brighter place for my children's future?
This is where my thinking started.
The problem I am thinking about
In particular, I am concerned about war and other human rights issues.
Even in this day and age of "freedom of speech and expression," I believe that human rights issues such as these can easily lead to restrictions on speech from the perspective of individual countries.
Although each individual has his or her own viewpoint, speech and expression should not be restricted.
Therefore, I would like to communicate "sharing human rights issues with the world and not letting them fade away" through my artistic activities.
Why use NFT and gas masks to solve the problem?
I will explain why I use "NFT" and “Gas Masks" to solve the aforementioned problems.
Why "NFT"?
When you have a theme you want to assert to the world and you want your work to be diffuse, digital art is a very effective means. However, we must be aware that we are at risk of censorship if we remain conventional.
Instead, the public blockchain (←important) NFT is transparent and tamper-resistant. By tying art to that NFT, it is no longer subject to restrictions by some malicious state authorities. Furthermore, the high availability provides lasting appeal and avoids fading of the issue.
Why “Gas Masks"?
Although I am focusing on human rights issues, I believe that gas masks are also a motif that well represents other contemporary public issues such as viruses and climate change. The gas mask has a strong message, yet at first glance it has a cute, blithe appearance.
Human rights issues are not a light theme. Some people may feel resistance if I convey the weight of the theme as it is. Therefore, in my case, I dare to use cute illustrations to create artwork that is easy for the recipient to digest. By doing so, I believe I can increase the number of opportunities for people to come into contact with this issue.
Beyond that image
I find social significance in "NFT" and “Gas Masks," which can communicate sensitive issues such as human rights issues to the world more reliably and with greater appeal.
Although many people may have a negative image of gas masks today, I believe that by combining the new technology of NFT, the world will eventually come to see gas masks as positive icons.
3. About this work
Characteristics of my work
Many of my works are expressed in a relatively easy-to-understand manner using cute illustrations. The reason for this, as I mentioned earlier, is that I want my works to be easy for viewers to digest, so that they will have more opportunities to come into contact with human rights issues.
In Japan, where I am based, there are many artists who draw illustrations, but it may be rare to find an artist like me who deals with human rights issues and draws only gas masks.
About this collection
“Gas Mask Challenge” is a collection of memes of gas masks that I started on July 7, 2021. memes are funny images that appear on the Internet. This collection also includes many works that have their own source material and messages.
At that time, one work was created every day, and the total number of works is up to No.201 (as of January 19, 2023). This work is a collage of 100 gas masks from No.101~200 (October 8, 2021~January 15, 2021).
Usually, I develop works that are similar to PFP, but I also create collages for each of the 100 works to give them a wider range of artistic expression.
