Landscape Series No.12

While traveling outside of Tokyo one day, I looked out the train window and was struck by the vast, open countryside. It reminded me of the Earth’s natural scale and beauty—something I had forgotten after living in Tokyo for over twenty years.

This led me to reflect on the urban landscape that has become most familiar to me. In Tokyo, rows of buildings rise like walls, eliminating depth and blocking the view. To avoid looking at the grime-covered facades or the dense crowds, we are left to look only upward—at a small fragment of sky, cut out by buildings. My gaze constantly moves between this sliver of sky, the towering structures, and the dirty ground below.

Wanting to capture this vertical motion of the gaze, I arrived at a radial composition. At the center is the small, boxed-in sky, with the rest of the scene radiating downward toward the crowded streets and soiled pavement—littered with cigarette butts, gum, and other traces of urban life. Nature, once central to traditional landscape painting, is nearly absent here. Instead, what fills the frame are anonymous feet, moving in unison, and the overwhelming presence of the crowd.

Urban life is fast-paced and relentless. Once absorbed into the system, it's hard to stop or step outside of it. Time and bodies are consumed without pause. And yet, within this harsh environment, people live earnestly—making the best choices they can within limited options. There is quiet beauty in their sincerity and determination.

My work observes these layers of urban life, exploring the value of the individual within the overwhelming structure of the modern city. Through painting and photography, I aim to reflect on what it means to live, persist, and find meaning in such a space.

modeling paste, acrylic, oil on wood panel