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I choose to work with contemporary issues in relation to their historical contexts. Through my artwork, I create what I call my own “truth” formed from the influences and experiences I have absorbed. I define “truths” as being based on personal beliefs, identities, and relative perspectives rather than simple facts that are either black or white. Although I am continually looking for the truth, there is also a feeling within me that believes that a single truth does not exist. My images attempt to portray only one version, but by doing so, I also hope to be able to bring out other meaningful “truths” that may lie deep inside the audience. I attempt to connect historical, economic, and social issues of post-war Japan with personal experiences and the voices of my generation. Despite loss of human lives, destruction of its major cities, and its lack of raw materials, Japan became the second largest economy in the world in less than 30 years after the war ended. Post-war Japanese identity has largely been shaped by recovery from defeat, economic development to catch up with the West, and reviving national confidence. However, the bubble economy of the late eighties and the “Lost Decade” of the nineties have left little room for the nation’s people, especially the younger generation, to reflect upon and contemplate what it means to be uniquely Japanese. By looking back on history, I want to bring light to the present.
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