MOKOMOKO – BORDER
SHINZAN KURIHARA
Today, the evolution of social networking sites and AI has enabled people to instantly connect worldwide, and has led to an accelerating development of borderlessness. This is something good and useful. However, are the human minds keeping up with this development? For example, there are times when false rumors and fake news spread in an instant, without its information being looked into more precisely to see if it is trustworthy. At times, this has been life-threatening, or have even driven some people to take their own lives. Borders within situations where we should control ourselves are also starting to vanish.
When we say border, most people would probably have an image of national borders, but what I wish to focus on in particular is the border that exists within an individual’s inner self. However, this is something extremely complex and sensitive. Its negative affect may lead to discrimination. Therefore, what is perhaps needed in modern society is not a border merely for differentiation, but instead, a border that is created as a positive result from plenty of conflicts. While this will help to stop the dilution of human nature, it should also help us to show true respect for one another.
Precisely speaking, this is a process of taking a step back to experience several conflicts through issues that are contrary to each other, and then searching for the light that serves as a clue to the solution within the verge of its border. I have expressed this through my “Sho” (Japanese calligraphy) and have named this approach as MOKOMOKO – BORDER. The opposition within the conflict may extend to the dual nature of one’s inner self, individuality and universality, or, a universal theme of life and death. In Japanese, MOKOMOKO describes “the state of lumps forming one after another from its surroundings”. Through a distinctive way of creating sumi ink, such as the adjustment of the sumi ink’s temperature by a unit of 1 degree and the aging of the rubbed sumi ink, I have blurred the sumi inks in some parts of the word in my “Sho” to create such lumps, in order to project various emotions including conflict. The word, along with its original meaning, is brought to life. Then, as the MOKOMOKO lines clashes and conflicts with each other, a faint but strong border is created between them, producing light. This also signifies that spaces and borders as a result of such conflicts, are what creates values. The MOKOMOKO sumi ink seems as if it is spreading and getting bigger at this very moment, enabling it to keep its raw permanency.
Conflicts are originally a part of human nature, and we strive to search for the exit. The more severe this process is, the more the border that is left from it becomes a substantial, living glimmer of light, allowing us to regain the fundamental meaning of our existence. Indeed, the border which I propose is the strong light of salvation that will eventually appear, and also something that will open the way to the future from the conflicts and struggles that everybody has inside themselves.
Through an unexpected closure caused by the COVID-19, I believe that many of us were given the opportunity to face ourselves. Moving towards the post COVID-19 era, I hope that viewers will identify their own life with my works, while thinking how to seek for the light of border from beyond the chaotic conflict.
“What Makes Humans Human”
～人間〔Human〕＜1620×860ｍｍ＞
In this work, I have squeezed in parts that are unique to live humans. At times, we struggle at the last minute, and at other times we survive while being crushed. This is the same for conflicts that happen between others and within ourselves. While the power of the living spirit continues to flow holding its good and bad side, the space within the word is glimmering as a light of life. To some viewers, the shining, white part oozing through from the lower part may seem like a shape of a face. For example, it may seem that the face is laughing, or perhaps, being perverse. How the viewers perceive its expression may depend on their current state of emotion or situation. This shows a live human being as it is.
“Surviving Today, while Seeking for the Light”
～今〔Now〕＜860×860ｍｍ＞
Desperately surviving today while searching for the ray of light. You will then be able to see the real tomorrow beyond.
“How Come?”
～問〔Question〕＜1232×2141ｍｍ＞
This emotion is similar to the feeling of grief, when we clench our teeth and force the word “How come?” from our lips. It may look like a face, but its eye on one side has been smudged in order to give out white shine. Is this the powerful eye of someone who has opened his or her eyes widely? Or is it teardrops… In such a way, viewers may perceive it in different ways depending on their situation. On the other hand, it is also something being questioned- a question about how human beings stand in the world today.
“Stay Calm and Keep Doing What Should be Done”
～然〔Thus〕＜1023×1180ｍｍ＞
Continue to do what should be done, calmly but surely. This shouldn’t matter whether it’s something from the extraordinary or from our ordinary lives. If we keep our core values in our hearts, perhaps we may be able to keep moving forward to see what needs to be done, regardless of the situation.
“Can You Stand up Again?”
～ モウイチド 〔Again〕＜860×1620mm＞
Try to stand up again while feeling conflicted, or struggling against conflicts between others. The shape of the word resembles the action of taking a new step forward, while creating light, using the power welling up inside you from the bottom.
