FUKUSHIMA
Today, anime and manga have grown into a global cultural force, captivating audiences worldwide. These media deeply reflect Japan’s historical background, social values, and daily life. Through humor, satire, and stylized portrayals of free-spirited sexuality, anime and manga convey a diverse range of expressions. This dynamic form of media embodies Japan’s "counterculture", richly reflecting the nation's identity, values, and unique artistic narrative. Just as street and hip-hop culture emerged in the United States as a means of self-expression for social minorities, Japan has preserved its own cultural diversity and historical elements through creative expressions like art and manga. Japan's realism truly lives on in its subcultures, which have long supported cultural and historical elements that might otherwise have been lost or marginalized by other countries." Throughout my journey, I encountered BMX and was touched to American counterculture through street culture. This experience allowed me to identify both the affinities and distinctions among japanese subculture, street culture, and contemporary art, each embodying a sense of "counter" (resistance or opposition). This social role and significance of contemporary art makes to shape new eras and values. The pure artist always looks to external possibilities, evolving without being confined by the past. While studying art history and techniques is important, not everyone needs to follow the same standards to become an artist. The resistance that exists between the self and others, along with a rebellious spirit toward society, is the underlying element of contemporary art. I studied architecture because I’ve been a "enthusiast of structure " since childhood, with a curiosity driven motivation to understand the mechanisms and structures behind everything. Among various subjects, I became particularly interested in explores the structure of mental and psychological processes, which was particularly fascinated about Gestalt psychology by Dr. Perls. The word "Gestalt" means "shape or form" in German. In the "Gestalt approach," there is a fundamental premise that life happens not in the past or future but in the present, a concept that aligns with "Nakaima" in Shinto (Japan's indigenous religion). When we dwell on the past or imagine the future, we are not fully present. Similarly, "artistic value," which varies depending on individual environments and psychological conditions, cannot exist in isolation. It only achieves its "form as art" by resonating with the viewer's "Nakaima" (present moment). The approach of transcending the concept of “shape” in art to create a relative "Gestalt" is my own standard of “shape,” serving as a "counter" for contemporary art.