Intimacy and Rejection / 親密と拒絶
2024年6月
500 x 500 mm / 19.68×19.68 in
ホワイティング 墨 インディアンインク 兎膠 綿布 木製パネル
Whiting, sumi ink, Indian ink, rabbit skin glue, and muslin on wood panel
Intimacy and Rejection/親密と拒絶 explores the sense of distance caused by language barriers. It consists of multiple panels, each displaying letters taken from both the English and Japanese alphabets. If viewers recognize some of the letters, they may feel a sense of intimacy with the work; conversely, unfamiliar letters might evoke a sense of alienation, appearing merely as abstract lines.
This artwork originates from my personal struggle with communicating in English. It's difficult for me to understand slang in conversations. Because slang is often shared within small groups with common ground, those outside the group may feel isolated when they hear it. Conversely, understanding slang can reveal hidden meanings and foster a sense of intimacy. I experience similar feelings when encountering artworks that use foreign languages, as I do when hearing unfamiliar slang. This is because I cannot read the language or grasp its cultural background. Therefore, I expressed these struggles through the use of letters from both my native language and English. Furthermore, in an effort to embrace this situation positively, I created one panel of the triptych that combines both languages into a single composition.
Left
Center
Right