100 Ink Illustrations
A 140-page digital art book exploring the themes of femininity, ethnicity
and the metaphysical self in Tokyo, Japan.
January 2018 - I decided I’d fly to Japan, I wanted to live there and experience daily life. So I moved to Setagaya, Tokyo for 6 months.
Girls100 began as observational drawings of people I’d seen, but over time it evolved into a collection of cultural differences. The 100 drawings are slice of life, documenting an average woman’s perspective. A look at more than the ‘kawaii’ perspective the Western world is familiar with.
photograph by @pollytempo
From the pressure of having to wear makeup in public to the usage of a sun umbrellas during summer, I share the interesting aspects of a woman’s life in Tokyo from my brief time spent there.
Additionally, the project highlights my own diaspora as an artist creating work with Japanese pop culture influences.
As an Asian artist in the western world, my artwork is seen with the context of myself being Asian. The stylistic choices I make are categorized as ‘anime’ or ‘manga’ in North America and the Asian media become the focus whether I intended it to or not. However, when drawing in Japan this year, since everyone is Asian there, I felt the context of ‘Asian artist’ lifted.
In Asia, I experienced what it’s like to be an Artist and not an Asian Artist.
The actions and emotions I wanted to communicate were being seen through a thinner scope - bringing the story of each drawing closer to the viewer. I realized that I’ll never shake this cultural influence in America, but I can be proud of it and think more freely as an artist.
This gave me the confidence to experiment more with the human form, lines, and gestures.
During my last week, I taped up all the drawings from Japan to cover my room. 6 months of experiences reflected physically, in the tiny apartment.
photograph by @pollytempo
Book
Data Drive
Limited Edition USB
As a traveler who believes in minimalism for the environment,
I’m honored to have the opportunity to publish this book with my friend at Ploom™
Ploom
/'ploom/
A small donation-based digital pharmacy that produces and prescribes healthy doses of carefully curated music for a cause.
When Ploom™ took up the project and designed these limited edition Data Drives, I was thrilled.
They come with my photographs from Japan, time-lapse drawing videos and music tracks from one of their regular artists Shogonodo.
The drive is encased in a beautiful PP plastic cover inscribed with an illustration from the book. These drives are designed to promote digital media art and music publications and can be reusable as USB drives.
PP case and data drive designed by Ploom™
Support
Digital Art-book
$5 USD
instant email delivery
DL via Gumroad
[Limited] Extended edition. Data Drive
[SOLD OUT - available at pop up events only]