1. Looking at Contemporary Japanese Art
Looking at Contemporary Japanese Art
[NAME]
[School Affiliation]

2. Looking at Contemporary Japanese Art
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward
significance. — Aristotle
There are many forms of art and through history it has continued to branch out. From traditional
pieces, we have come to that era where contemporary pieces have finally made its share of awes.
No matter the art, however, for one with a keen eye, there is always a story to tell – a meaning
behind it, for true art is a form of expression. For my essay, I have decided to particularize on
Asian works; I have selected three pieces of contemporary art from different artists, each of
which I believe is uniquely designed to convey the candor of human nature.
I have decided to make my focus on Japanese works of art since there is that element of surprise
and distinctiveness which makes their collection more compelling to my taste. My selection then
includes Tetsuya Ishida‘s ―Strange World‖; Masayo Odahashi‘s ―The view inward‖; and Chiho
Aoshima‘s ―Pink Dream‖. All three are evidently expressions of human endeavors; on the other
hand, they are quite different from one another in that one piece conveys a different character
than the other. In other words, they are uniquely defined by the stories, or perhaps emotion, that
they portray.

3. Looking at Contemporary Japanese Art
(1)
―Strange World‖
Tetsuya Ishida
At first glimpse, I found this particular surreal piece of Ishida as mind-boggling. Not to mention
the fact that it gave me goose bumps. It was, in a sense, eerie but then at the same time,
interesting and quite sensible. Then again, it is nothing new as throughout the rest of his career,
Ishida‘s style lies mainly on being grotesque. His theme meanwhile was generally focused on the
circumstances in Japan and its people – it was political, emotional, and personal for some.
In this case is a man who is half-naked, with the rest of his body – for the most part of the lower
area – covered in several faces of various expressions. The main man on the other hand – the one
whose body is covered – has his face with a blank expression. As well, his one hand is placed
holding another which is clearly not his own. Meanwhile, the tone of the painting is made to a

4. Looking at Contemporary Japanese Art
monotonous setting; hence, even without thinking too hard, the audience would immediately feel
the presence of obscurity in the painting.
In reflecting upon the painting, I found it ‗serious‘. It may have been made to be personal but not
necessarily exclusive to one character; perhaps this man in the painting signified a greater
populace. The whole scenario was made relatable to the audience in such a way that there was
that presence of a struggle. And this struggle, perhaps, was against his self.
(2)
―The view inward‖
Masayo Odahashi

5. Looking at Contemporary Japanese Art
The first thought that entered my mind as I took a look at this sculpture was that it was especially
quiet; upon hearing my description, a friend of mine insisted that I may rather mean serene.
Perhaps. But then, although it is true that the latter word is a synonym of the other, I would
prefer to stick to my original opinion. To me, the sculpture was not in itself ‗peaceful‘ but
instead, it was just quiet. I mean, a person can be quiet but not necessarily peaceful; and so the
notion applies to my opinion of this work. And in a way, I may just be right.
―The view inward‖ is Odahashi‘s name for this piece. By all means, the sculpture was designed
to portray a girl sitting alone by herself and implicating an action of thinking, what with her head
bowing slightly and her body positioned in a seemingly relaxed – though not necessarily
‗peaceful‘ manner. Upon seeing the title, it is clear then that the girl indeed is thinking – or
rather, reflecting. Interestingly, this sculpture was made of glass.
Additionally, the scenario was set in complete simplicity. From its aesthetic to the action
portrayed, the details are plain and distinguishable – there is no more than two colors present, not
dull but rather light; it is made of one material which is glass; and in all its totality, it is nothing
but simple. Nevertheless, the whole thing in itself has value because it shows how ―the view
inward‖ does not necessarily require calm and serenity but mere silence alone will do – or so I
say.

6. Looking at Contemporary Japanese Art
(3)
―A Pink Dream‖
Chiho Aoshima
What initially struck me as interesting in this print is the variety of bright colors used. For me, it
practically screams fun; I thought of little girls and their games, their fantasies of fairies and
wonderland, etc. The whole thing is just wonderfully charming. But then, while there is life
literally hanging around the tree, beneath it, just attached to its roots, you‘ll find skulls. This then
is what made me curious. It was no portrayal of child‘s play; it is actually twisted but then it is
not at all pointless.
The print‘s impression is clearly not based on reality per se – it is an abstract representation. And
corollary to that characteristic, there is then a meaningful significance to it – or so it would be if
we follow the common assumption that art is an expression of human nature. And indeed it is.

7. Looking at Contemporary Japanese Art
But then we forget that human nature is quite ambiguous and it extends to many respects.
Trends, for instance, is just another part of human nature – not as deep as emotions but
nonetheless, it is there. And this print, ―A Pink Dream‖, is a concrete example of that shallow
part of human nature. It may be shallow but it still represents us as humans; after all, trends fall
under our lifestyles. And so in the end, this print is no portrayal of child‘s play and it is, to an
extent, twisted – and almost silly for its ‗hidden purpose‘; but then one would realize, it is not
really at all pointless.
These three works of art I have selected, they are the different in many ways but in some ways,
they are still the same. They may convey different sets of emotions, different sets of stories; but
all the same, they convey the experiences of being human. Certainly, they are of different styles
and from different artists; but nonetheless, all express uncertainty and density in well-defined
representations. All these may be abstract in a sense that there are meaningful interpretations
behind them but not so abstract in a sense that they are almost ludicrous as such with an art that
is merely a blank canvass marked with just a dot in the center (then again, art is art regardless of
what the finished product looks like). Furthermore, their common ground is mainly that they are
all contemporary; overall, they represent modernization – lifestyles, lives and the world as it is
today. Albeit the difference in techniques, these contemporary works are aimed at only one
direction anyway; that is, to reveal not the outward appearance of things, but their inward
significance. It is art, after all.