Showa Nihon

silkscreen on BFK Rives, wooden frame
h: 57, w: 76.5 cm (sheet) / h: 62, w: 81.5, d: 3.5 cm (frame)
ed.15
2020

* It will take about 4 weeks from the order to delivery.

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[Artist Statement]

Let's Go on a Trip!

Suddenly, life has changed. I have stopped taking the subway, going to my studio, walking around the city, seeing movies at the theater, and meeting up with my friends. I spend my days in quarantine, going outside only to shop for food or to get a little fresh air. Projects and trips have all been postponed. The city has become the new epicenter of the pandemic and life has been made more difficult for all of its inhabitants. Many people have lost their jobs and are getting desperate about paying bills. News from the world outside is far from encouraging. Entire countries have closed their borders. The US presidential response in itself has been a disaster. I think about what I can do to remain as mentally creative as usual while stuck in my Manhattan apartment. God gave me the gift of transforming feelings into visual art. And using this power, I have started to make a new series of drawings: an imaginary trip in the midst of life under quarantine. The result is like a diary of insights about my past, my present daily life, and the future. I have been experimenting with complex digital techniques to produce simple black-and-white drawings. These original artworks will hopefully be exhibited at the end of the year in a physical museum. In the meantime, enjoy this little preview!

Oscar Oiwa

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Showa Nihon
Quarantine is a good time to see movies from the internet. I love to watch old Japanese black and white movies from the 50’s and 60’s, the golden era of Japanese cinema. At the time, the country was recovering from World War II and TVs were not yet accessible for all. Compared to technology these days, it is simple but I can feel the team creativity behind the camera. These movies are like my drawings, how the simpler the medium, the more difficult it is to produce a good work and express something interesting.
(Oscar Oiwa / 20.4.2020)