The Rooster

This work was selected as a finalist in the Graphic category of the 22nd “1_WALL” competition.

From a photographed image of the motif, a single pixel is extracted and translated into CMYK values, which are then used to dye the fabric. After alum sizing, the image is drawn with triangular tailor’s chalk, ink, and transparent watercolor. Measuring two meters in width, this is the artist’s largest work to date.

The composition adopts the same proportions as a standard Japanese postcard (1:1.48). By taking the institutional format of the New Year’s card as a structural premise, the work visualizes a state in which a relationship appears to continue while, in fact, it is already coming to an end.

The work originates from the artist’s departure from a Buddhist painting studio where he once worked, as well as memories of the chickens kept there. It holds within the image a sense of endings in relationships and a transition toward a new phase of time. In the background of the work lies the phrase “don’t dwell on it,” the Japanese title of Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right, and the feeling of departure embedded in the song, which is also reflected in the poem submitted for the 1_WALL exhibition.